Falconer - December 2014

Falconer The Torrey Pines High School

Friday, December 12, 2014 | Vol. 40, Issue 4, 28 pages | San Diego | www.tphsfalconer.com

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A24 PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF MICHELLE HAO

Anonymous threats prompt investigations

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By Sarah Chan and Caroline Rutten

TPHS received an anonymous email bomb threat on the morning of Dec. 5, according to a school-wide email sent by Principal David Jaffe.

The San Diego Police Department and its Internet Crimes Against Children unit were immediately contacted by TPHS administration. An investigation was conducted on-site, and it was determined safe for students and teachers to continue with the school day while police remained on campus. There is currently no further information regarding the source of the threat, or if an arrest has been made, as it is an “ongoing legal investigation,” according to Assistant Principal Robert Coppo.

A previous threat posted on the anonymous social media application Yik Yak forced TPHS into a precautionary lockdown for almost four hours just two weeks earlier on Nov. 20.

According to Jaffe, that threat was made on the afternoon of Nov. 19, warning

that someone was “going to shoot all at TP[HS] tomorrow at 11:55 a.m.” However, the threat was not brought to Jaffe’s attention until the next morning, when a parent, whose child was informed of the threat through a friend, called Jaffe. No names were released, for the protection of the students and the parents.

At 8:35 a.m., administration contacted the SDPD, and officers arrived around 8:55 a.m. The SDPD then contacted the Threats Against Children Internet Task Force and the Special Weapons and Tactics team, which also came on campus. A total of 40 officers, some with automatic weapons, arrived to secure the perimeter.

“We didn’t know the liability [of the threat],” Jaffe said. “We didn’t want to lockdown during break because the kids would end up all over the place and because there was a time stamp on the threat. We already had the cops surrounding the outside of the school ... As soon as break

was over, and we got kids into class, we decided to go into lockdown.”

Jaffe made an announcement on the intercom at 10:15 a.m., prompting teachers to begin lockdown procedures. A series of phone calls, emails and social media updates to TPHS parents began at the start of the lockdown, and continued throughout the day.

Although the notifications told parents to stay away from campus, many parents, including Lise Flocken, mother of Tayah Bolt (11), came to TPHS. “Parents were lining up by the church across the street from the main entrance,” Flocken said. “We were all looking down at the police and the news vans. It was amazing to see this community come together. We all had tears in our eyes and we all just wanted our kids back.”

Once the lockdown was announced,

see LOCKDOWN, A4

“

People should have a right to determine their own fate, whether they choose life or death.

Caroline Rutten See Pro/Con, A6

opinion.......................A6 feature.....................A11 a&e..........................A15 sports......................A19 backpage.................A24 focus.........................B1

Memorial held to honor ASB Dance coach to leave TPHS in December

By Lily Nilipour adviser Scott Chodorow STAFF WRITER

By Alice Qu and Irene Yu A&E EDITOR & STAFF WRITER The memorial service “A Celebration of Life” was held to commemorate the life of former ASB adviser and cheerleading coach Scott Chodorow in the TPHS gym on Nov. 16. The memorial was organized by Scott himself, his wife Suzy Chodorow, the TPHS Foundation and parents of the cheerleaders, according to SDUHSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt.

TPHS students, alumni and faculty, Scott’s family and friends, and members of both the Boy Scouts of America Troop 765 and the Carlsbad Dance Centre, attended the service.

“That gym, packed with 1,500 people, having both sides filled up [and] having folks describe him the way they did is a great testament to the life he lived,” Principal David Jaffe said. “The measure of a person’s success isn’t the amount of money they make. It’s the people that they impacted through their life, and we had a room full of them.”

On Oct. 22, Scott posted a message on Facebook to notify students and

see CHODOROW, A3

Anthony Rodriguez is leaving his job at TPHS as varsity and JV dance coach on Dec. 18 to pursue other opportunities and goals, according to dance teacher Sarah Kaye.

“He’s trying to perform for himself,” Kaye said. “He’s still young for where he wants to go. He’s been an amazing coach and a great choreographer.”

Varsity dancer Sarah Ludington (10) said that Rodriguez was “teaching a lot more classes” outside of school, and that “a lot more opportunities have opened for him.”

“He’s really just trying to change his focus,” Ludington said. “He’s been [coaching at TP] for the past couple years.”

According to varsity dance captain Katie Qian (12), Rodriguez has been at TPHS for three and a half years and has positively impacted team members.

“He acts like a friend and less of an authority figure to you,” Qian said. “When you’re comfortable with him, you’re a lot more comfortable trying new things and stepping out of your own little box.”

Kaye agrees that Rodriguez was very close to his students. However, Kaye and Ludington said that Rodriguez’s choreography was a major contribution as well.

“His choreography is really easy to recognize, especially as a dancer,” Ludington said. “I can tell if it’s done by Anthony or if it’s a guest choreographer.”

According to Kaye, Rodriguez choreographed all the football game dances, along with some performance and competition pieces, while at TPHS. Kaye has been interviewing prospective coaches during the past week to take Rodriguez’s place. According to Qian, the dancers are looking for someone who, like Rodriguez, will be “really comfortable with leadership.”

Rodriguez could not be reached for comment.

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news

december 12, 2014

TPHS students attend Badminton officially becomes a CIF sport literary society luncheon

By Anna Lee

OPINION EDITOR

By Amanda Chen & Sarah Kim STAFF WRITER & FEATURE EDITOR

English teacher Catherine Moffett and six of her AP English Language students attended a luncheon held by the Rancho Sante Fe Literary Society to meet “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” author Maria Semple on Nov. 21 at the Grand Del Mar. Carly Kutschke (11), Carolyn Chu (11), Michelle Zhao (11), Nicholas Iftimie (11), Russell Reed (11) and Tanvi Shinkre (11) were chosen randomly from a group of Moffett’s students who expressed interest in attending the luncheon.

“Mrs. Moffett put up the offer during her two [APEL] classes and then we wrote our names down, and she picked our names from a hat,” Chu said. “There were 20 or more [students] who signed up.”

According to Moffett, the RSF Literary Society likes including TPHS students in various events, like essay contests, and invited them to come.

Before the actual lunch, Moffett and her students had the opportunity to meet and talk to Semple about her book for thirty minutes. The students also received signed copies of “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” from the author.

“We weren’t even talking about her at first, because she was interested in us,” Shinkre said. “She seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing ... I was expecting [Semple] to be

serious and more boring, because that’s the stereotype of authors, but she was funny and really interesting.”

Semple expressed similar sentiments about meeting with students.

“I found the students smart, energetic, thoughtful and totally engaged,” Semple said. “They asked interesting, intelligent questions and were full of insight.”

After the meeting, members of the RSF Literary Society gave introductory speeches, followed by an impromptu speech from Semple herself.

“Her speech was about the whole writing process and how the book was inspired by her failures and her journey ... to redeem herself,” Chu said. “I never knew [the book] was semiautobiographical until I met her.

I thought the main character was really quirky, and once I met [Semple] I could see the character in her.”

In her speech, Semple also spoke about her experiences as a screenwriter on “Arrested Development” and “90210.”

“I’m really glad I got the opportunity to go because its just nice to meet an actual author,” Shinkre said. “You always hear about authors and you read their books, but I’ve never met an author before.”

According to Moffett, the event was an “educational and cultural” experience for the students.

The RSF Literary Society will hold similar events open to TPHS students in the future.

TPHS’ new CIF badminton team, started by Michael Lin (12), will be the North County Conference’s first official badminton team and will play against schools in the San Diego City Conference this spring.

Lin has played badminton for eight years and competitively for four, and has participated in at least 20 tournaments. He has entertained thoughts of starting a badminton team at TPHS since freshman year, as he knows TPHS almuni who were also badminton players but unable to successfully start a team. Lin started a club during his sophomore year, and has since been working to create a CIF team. He succeeded this year with the help of athletic director Matthew Livingston, who handles boys’ sports.

“It was just a matter of getting our school and our school district on board to have [the badminton team] come about,” Livingston said. “I always thought, ‘Wait, there’s no badminton team in North County.’ I’ve always thought this was interesting.

Then, about a month or two into the job with the athletics program, Michael Lin came up to me and said, ‘Hey, this is something we want to do.’”

According to Livingston, 2014 was a “good year” to start the team because there are two athletic directors, which gave Livingston more time to “chase things down” for badminton.

“We still have a lot of obstacles, but we’re confident it’s going to be a go,” Livingston

said. “We have our schedule [for the season] ... but there are all sorts of things [left to do].

It takes money, fundraising, uniforms, equipment, not to mention facilities.”

Lin said he is working on getting equipment set up in the gym so the team can practice throughout the school year. He plans to have tryouts in late January or early February for the 110 people who expressed interest in the club during Club Day and an informational lunch meeting. So far, he has practiced consistently with a few players from last year, including Roger Chen (11).

“I go to the [Carmel Valley

Recreation Center] almost every Friday and we always see each other, so I guess [we practice] pretty often,” Chen said. “It’s just that the intensity of the session isn’t that high because of the availability of the courts.”

According to Livingston, they have found a coach for the team: Kevin Quach, the head badminton coach at Kearny High School. Quach, however, is still in the process of being cleared as an official staff member. He was not available for comment.

As for the CIF season, Lin predicts the team will likely be “mid-range” in terms of performance.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ROBBIE JOHNSON/FALCONER

LIN-SANITY: Michael Lin (12) demonstrates an overhand smash. He is captain of the new, official TPHS badminton team.

AVID visits universities across California

By Maya Parella STAFF WRITER AVID program seniors returned from a five-day California college tour in midNovember.

The tour, which was only open to seniors participating in AVID, featured 21 colleges, including California State University and University of California campuses, as well as several private schools. Ten seniors went on the tour, led by AVID adviser Anastasia Kokkinis and math teacher Rosa Velazquez.

“I want them to find their fit,” Kokkinis said. “So many [TPHS] students have ideas of what colleges they’re interested in or hear parent or friend recommendations … I want them to be sure that they’re in the right place for them.”

Kokkinis has been the tour organizer for 10 years and hopes to aid students in narrowing down their top choices before the application deadline.

Madison Clagg (12) said that the tour was both exciting and beneficial.

“I’m very glad that I went on [the tour] just because I learned that college visits are very important,” Clagg said. “I went into it, to be completely honest, wanting to genuinely see schools with big names I’ve never seen before and see how I feel about them.”

The group received both

school-sponsored and informal tours of the colleges, according to Kokkinis. At some schools, former TPHS students led the seniors on personal tours around the campuses. In special cases, the seniors visited the dorms of the students, getting a glimpse of what college life will be like.

“Right off the bat, [I noticed] people are much more independent,” Cisco Esquer (12) said. “You’re doing everything for you. You have to have your priorities in check.”

Esquer has looked at colleges before, but the AVID college tour left him feeling “excited” and ready to immerse himself in college life.

“There’s a lot of activities that students engage in, so it’s not just schoolwork,” Esquer said. “All that we do in high school — it’s much more emphasized in college where you do venture out. It’s becomes much more real.”

While high school seniors often have fears about moving into college, talking to former TPHS students during the tour assuaged many concerns, according to Clagg.

“I think that talking to [former TPHS students] was nice because they went through the same thing we’re doing right now at this particular high school,” Clagg said. “They told us that the transition wasn’t that bad, that Torrey Pines definitely prepares you for college. I was put at ease because of that. I feel more confident in going into a different

setting than I was used to.”

Velazquez said that it was “nice” to compare universities across California and that students got a “realistic opinion” of the schools they wanted to attend.

Aside from aspects of student life, Clagg said that experiencing the “feel” of individual campuses is important as well.

“There were some schools we

went to where half the group loved the school and half the group hated it,” Clagg said. “You can feel if it’s for you or not, and I think that was the most beneficial part of going on the trip.”

Despite having only five days to visit all 21 colleges, the tour was extremely successful, according to both teachers. Each student returned with many more options than just his or her prior

choices.

“As we were filling out college apps, every single one of them deleted some schools, added other schools,” Kokkinis said. “I personally feel that the trip is vital for college selection.”

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, helps students who are the first in their families to attend college or to attend college in the U.S.

PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF ANASTASIA KOKKINIS

COLLEGE SURFING: AVID seniors pose in front of Saint Ignatius Church on the campus of the University of San Francisco. The students visited 21 California colleges over a five-day trip.

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CHODOROW continued from A1 parents about his condition and indefinite leave of absence. He lost his fight to B-cell lymphoma on Nov. 1.

Scott told his students about his condition in Sept. of the 20132014 school year. According to ASB President Erica Lewis (12), Scott came to school “almost every day,” even when he was ill.

“When he was sick, I would tell him to go home and rest,” business teacher Jacqueline Niddrie said. “But what he said was ‘This is normal to me. Being at Torrey Pines makes it all OK.’” In addition to the memorial, cheerleaders and their families attended a candlelight vigil on Nov. 2 in honor of Scott’s life.

According to varsity cheerleader Stefanie Ho (11), cheerleaders sold temporary tattoos, shirts and green bumper stickers that said “4C,” donating the proceeds to the Chodorow family.

Varsity cheerleader Jackie Weinrich (11) also made lime green ribbons for lymphoma awareness. The football team received stickers with Scott’s initials, “SC,” to put on their helmets for their last league game. Jaffe described Scott’s passing as “an enormous loss for the school.”

“I think [Scott’s] greatest contribution was how much of himself he gave to everything, [including] the events, but more importantly to his kids,” Jaffe said. “This was his family, and his family was part of this school as well.”

Scott taught a total of 10 years at Mt. Carmel High School, Poway High School and Westview High School before becoming a teacher at TPHS in 2004, according to district superintendent Rick Schmitt. Scott started coaching

cheer at TPHS in 2001 with his wife, and was hired as ASB adviser in 2004. In addition to cheer and ASB, Scott taught a few wood shop, web design and digital photography classes during his time at TPHS. “When I first saw him [at a football game in 2003], I wanted to know who this guy was,” Schmitt said. “I couldn’t tell what his job was because it seemed like he was in charge of everything, and he did it with a smile.”

Jaffe and Schmitt agree that Scott was a “centerpiece for the school.”

“From the moment I met him, he was a larger-than-life kind of guy,” said Jaffe. “He had a booming personality, he knew everything he needed to know about this school and he had connections with students all over the school.”

According to Lewis, Scott offered help and advice to any student who came to him and “always had his doors open.”

Niddrie said Scott’s goal at TPHS was to connect the students and to give every student a chance “to experience high school completely.”

According to Suzy, Scott thought “life was just fun” and he “always gave 100 percent” in everything he took part in. Up until his leave of absence, Scott organized several social events on campus, including Homecoming, Winter Formal and Prom, and personally decorated the ASB room and hallway for Halloween and Christmas.

“His motto was ‘Life is good,’” Suzy said. “Nothing was ever boring with him.”

Outside of school, Scott was a father who dedicated much time to his family. He joined the BSA Troop 765 with his son Cole Chodorow (10), and was the scoutmaster for three years,

the falconer

helping Cole become an Eagle Scout when he was only 14 years old. “[Scott] helped organize the troop, and he was always there for encouragement,” Boy Scout Geonwoo Lim (11) said. “He was a nice guy [who] laughed a lot, and he was familiar with all the scouts and their parents.”

According to Suzy, Scott also

performed in father-daughter dances at recitals with Jordan Chodorow for six years at the Carlsbad Dance Centre.

“Last May, [Scott] was the king in a ballet production, and he had the costume, the crown and the wig,” Suzy said. “He loved it.”

In addition, Scott did everything from dancing with his daughter to becoming a certified

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scuba diving instructor and buying a mobile home to visit every state in the United States in five years.

“He did everything on his bucket list,” Suzy said. “He lived with no regrets.”

Jaffe said he will continue Scott’s legacy at TPHS by dedicating his time to bringing students and staff closer together.

PHOTO BY GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

CELEBRATING A LIFE: Brandon Hong (12) speaks at the memorial for ASB adviser and cheer coach Scott Chodorow (TOP). Approximately 1,500 people gathered in the gym on Nov. 16 (BOTTOM).

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A4 the falconer LOCKDOWN continued from A1 teachers confirmed to students that the threat was legitimate, they prepared their students.

“We didn’t hear [the announcement] right away, so it took me by surprise,” art teacher Julie Limerick said. “Once I realized this was real, we got everything in motion. We had planned during the lockdown drills who was going to lock which doors … We took it very seriously.

We knew it wasn’t a drill.”

According to Nicholas Ho (12), physics teacher William Harvie was among the teachers who took extra precautions to protect their students.

“Harvie went into the hall with a metal rod that he found in the back [of the room], and passed [rods] out to everybody to protect themselves,” Ho said. “He had a mirror, and was peering around the corner.”

According to Jaffe, as police secured the interior and exterior of the school, a search for the person who made the threat began. Administrators began assuming different tasks.

“Coppo, who is in charge of safety on campus, was working the logistics of the administration, and we had assistant principals from other sites come,” Jaffe said. “[Administration had] a group responsible for communication with the public and the school board. The rest of the district and I were responsible for [keeping parents and students informed], and once we determined the interior of the campus was secure, we had administrators walk kids to the bathrooms.”

After police secured the campus, they separated students

news from their backpacks as a precautionary measure.

The police later determined that the source of the threat was not on campus, though later threats claimed someone was “on [his or her] way” or already “on campus.”

A total of five threats were made.

Once police identified where the threats had come from and pinpointed possible suspects, a “phased release” of students began around 1:30 p.m., although no public statement announcing the source of the threat was made at the time.

“Drivers were to drive off campus first,” Jaffe said. “Then I was to email and call parents to say they could pick up their son or daughter, [who would have been relocated to the gym]. We were going to release students ... as parents came to the front.”

Students directed to the gym were given food and water, and were told to contact their parents.

”

Parents were lining up ... across the street from the main entrance ... We were all looking down at the police and news vans.

Lise Flocken

parent

“It was chaotic,” Sreeganesh Manoharan (11) said. “There were a lot of students there, and they didn’t really know what they were doing, especially with all that hectic texting and calling their parents. They weren’t listening.”

Likewise, Jaffe thought releasing students from the gym individually was “problematic.”

“In retrospect, we should have

gotten the drivers off campus like we did, called the parents, and release the students in blocks of 50 or so to meet their parents or walk home,” Jaffe said.

Administrators created and shared a Google document following the lockdown, which allowed teachers to give feedback about their experiences.

According to Limerick, bathroom access is a serious problem to address. “[Classes] were being taken out to go [to the bathrooms], but there were so many people that had to go, and they didn’t get to [my class] very soon,” Limerick said. “We ended up devising a private space for students to relieve themselves in trash cans.

We handled it well, with a few kids at a time, and they emptied the trash can afterwards.”

Math teacher Abby Brown, who also contributed to the Google document, believes that organization and communication needed improvement.

“Given the circumstances of this situation, it would have been nice if there could have been clearer updates,” Brown said.

“Also, bathroom breaks needed to be communicated [properly], and a clear protocol should have been announced for getting that break.”

However, the lockdown brought attention to problems not apparent during previous lockdown drills.

“We needed to have emergency master keys for there to be more [administrators] doing classroom releases, and we are looking into purchasing porta-potty type things in classrooms, along with the sanitary supplies for that,” Jaffe said. “We have some lessons learned to share with all of our

december 12, 2014 school sites in the district, and we will all be better prepared.”

While there were concerns voiced by both the teachers and the administration, Jaffe was pleased with the school’s response.

”

We can’t afford to have a teenager code of silence ... the way we keep ourselves even safer is by communicating.

David Jaffe principal

“I think the teachers and students reacted perfectly,” Jaffe said. “They took it seriously, they followed the directions of the police officers, and students who were questioned were very supportive. Everyone handled themselves very well.”

On Nov. 21, the SDPD released a statement announcing “an arrest of a 17-year-old juvenile in connection with the threats made against [TPHS].” The juvenile was not a TPHS student, and was transported to Juvenile Hall.

Canyon Crest Academy was also forced into a lockdown on Nov. 20 at around 3 p.m., after a threat was posted on Yik Yak, saying that someone was “on the way with three guns.” The school was in lockdown for approximately 45 minutes until police determined that all was clear.

An arrest of a 16-year-old Westview High School student was made on Nov. 21 in connection to the threat against CCA, hours after the TPHS-related arrest.

The student made the threat as a joke, and did not have any connections to the TPHS threat,

according to NBC San Diego.

The day after the lockdowns, TPHS and CCA both continued with a regular school day.

“The police had the exact locations and identification for [the culprits], so I had a pretty good clue that they were going to make the arrest,” Jaffe said.

“But I couldn’t include that in the [email confirming school the following day].”

According to attendance secretary Danna Gunther, 11.5 percent of students were absent the following day, but it was impossible to tell if that was due solely to the threats.

After the threat against TPHS, Assistant Principal Michael Santos contacted Yik Yak to have the application blocked within a designated radius of the school, but could not confirm if that was implemented.

The lockdown provided students with a new perspective on the likelihood of a school-wide emergency.

“I’d say it was a good learning experience for our school because we see so many of these things, but we don’t experience them firsthand,” Manoharan said.

“We’re able to see how we’re supposed to protect ourselves, and how police can handle it.”

Jaffe believes the main lesson to take away from the lockdown is the importance of communication.

“The message I would want to get out is: If you see something strange, say something,” Jaffe said. “We can’t afford to have a teenager code of silence ... while I think this is a safe campus, the way we keep ourselves even safer is by communicating.”

More information regarding the bomb threat will be released when the investigation closes.

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PRO

By Caroline Rutten

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

How a person lives his or her life, from beginning to end, is his or her own prerogative. When poor health compromises the quality of life, it is a person’s right to end that discomfort.

In 1994, Oregon enacted the first assisted suicide law, called the Death With Dignity Act, under which patients with terminal illnesses can request fatal doses of a barbiturate. The drug acts on the central nervous system to peacefully place the patient into an unconscious state and end his or her life painlessly. The ethically controversial topic of assisted suicide has recently been revisited, in part by the death of 29-year-old brain tumor patient Brittany Maynard under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. Support for physician-assisted suicide is morally justified, as dying in this way reaffirms a person’s fundamental right to autonomy and free will.

The definitions of “assisted suicide” and “suicide” are often incorrectly associated with each other, resulting in a stigma against assisted suicide. Assisted suicide requires mental stability, a controlled environment and the consent of a doctor, which obviously differs radically from conventional suicide.

While they both end life, it is completely illogical to equate these two contrasting scenarios. There may never be a justification for physicianassisted suicide that is accepted by all, but, ultimately, it is an exercise of personal will to analyze such consequential options and decide one’s fate.

Generally, mentally stable people do not truly desire to die, but physician-assisted suicide is an entirely different scenario; it is all the more serious. The decision to end one’s life with a physician’s guidance is not a decision that is made lightly, but rather one of careful

In physician-assisted suicide, a patient self-administers a fatal dose of a prescribed drug. In the United States, it is legal in Oregon, Vermont and Washington. consideration and, of course, with physician authorization. Assisted suicide is not a decision to disregard the natural order of life, but one to prevent suffering that would darken the beauty and happiness of living in the remaining months of a person’s life. Assisted suicide does not degrade the significance of life; in fact, it shows that people who choose it understand the value of their lives enough to make the ultimate decision on how they want others to remember them and how they want to live out the end of their days.

Assisted suicide is an issue of personal choice and subjectivity. If a person is facing the unavoidable fate of dying in a painful, debilitating or burdensome manner, it is right that the person be able to exercise his or her right to die. Comfort and the quality of life are the cornerstones of a person’s well-being.

These values vary from person to person, so the argument of assisted suicide is based on personal interpretation. Therefore, the terminally ill have the right to weigh such factors and make their own personal decisions. It seems incongruous that people have the right to put animals down or pull the plug on a family member in a vegetative state — to make the decision to end another’s life when its quality is compromised by a degree of suffering — yet that option is not open to people who are ill and still have the capacity to make the same decision for themselves.

People should have a right to determine their own fate, whether they choose life or death. Thus, the debate over assisted suicide is a debate over free will: legalizing it will allow people to act within the law and according to their own desires — not force it upon anyone else. It is a personal decision over which no government or group should have the slightest authority.

Denying a person the right to die in a manner of his or her own choosing is a crime against personal justice and morality. Passing assisted suicide laws across America will not only instill a sense of respect for personal and civil liberty, but also will authorize a legitimate and humane way to die with dignity.

We asked you...

Is assisted suicide morally acceptable?

61%

39%

YES

NO

said

said

It seems intuitive that certain people, like the terminally ill, would be better off if they could choose to die with dignity and alleviate their unnecessary suffering. However, the issues of human dignity and suicide are far more complex than advocates of physician-assisted suicide understand. It is unethical to will your own death for the sake of some subordinate end, even the cessation of pain or comfort of your loved ones.

As a human being, you are the sort of object for whom things can be good or bad. An engrossing movie is not intrinsically good. It is good for viewers because they impose value upon certain characteristics of it, like good acting and cinematography.

It would be strange to think a small boulder could, just by itself, possess some absolute “goodness.” But if I want to sit down, then I have attached a purpose to it, that of a chair, which it might fulfill effectively or ineffectively.

The point is that anything that is better or worse must be better or worse for someone, the someone who imposes value on some of its properties. The problem is that, if you are dead, judgments like “better” or “worse” cannot apply to you since you cannot value anything at all. If that is true, then a troubling question arises: For whom is it better that you are dead rather than alive, even if you had been suffering greatly? It could not possibly be better for you, since you are not around to attach value to nonexistence.

The claim can be framed in another way. When we make a choice we must regard the end goal as good, and, being rational, we endorse our instincts as reasons to act before we act on them. If I see a drowning person in dangerous rapids, then I have competing impulses of selfpreservation and a desire to help.

The way I ultimately choose to act characterizes the kind of person I am; I feel there is something over and above my competing instincts, which represents my freedom to choose between them. But were it not for our desires and inclinations, we would not find their goals good to begin with. If we consider things valuable because they are valuable for us, then we must take ourselves to be valuable. Our human worth, as the source of all types of reasons, can only be valued unconditionally. If your

CON

By Varun Bhave NEWS EDITOR

lack of suffering matters only if you matter, then it is illogical to sacrifice yourself for the sake of ending your suffering through assisted suicide. It would be putting the cart before the horse.

In the same way financial problems are subordinate to concerns for happiness, which encompasses them, concern for happiness is subordinate to concern for yourself as a creature who values pain or suffering as reasons to act in the first place. In fact, happiness is often just a way of relating to the projects people set for themselves.

If I want to get a good grade, and I get an A, then I will be happy; it is a positive reaction to success in what I already wished to accomplish. The implication of these arguments is that you must value your autonomy before you can value anything else.

After all, you paradoxically need to value your own capacity to actualize goals to value suicide, which is just another goal.

The objection that people are “free” to bring about their own death misses the point. You might have the right to kill yourself, but only as much as you have the right to, say, distrust your own mind. You can believe that you cannot know anything, even if you recognize that this belief is illogical, since you would have to doubt your own belief that your mind is unreliable. Similarly, your “right” to will your own death only exists to the degree you can ignore the logical structure of every human choice.

Respect for humanity dictates that we treat it as intrinsically valuable — whether in other people or ourselves — not as something less important than considerations, like the benefits of suicide, that only operate “within” it. Assisted suicide, which undermines the basis of good or bad decisions, is therefore immoral.

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A7

STAFF EDITORIAL: GRAND JURIES’ DECISIONS On Nov. 24, a St. Louis County grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, a Ferguson, Mo. police officer, in the shooting of 18-year-old black teenager Michael Brown, inciting riots in Ferguson and around the country. Weeks later, on Dec. 3, a Staten Island grand jury voted against indicting New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died from Pantaleo’s chokehold.

Following that decision, protestors again have taken to the streets.

While both cases exhibit the need for serious conversations on police brutality and possible racial profiling in our society and ways to address these issues, the cases in Ferguson and New York City are somewhat different scenarios that may warrant different reactions. The grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson may be understandable; the jury only heard the arguments and evidence that prosecutor Robert McCulloch, presented. So, with the many conflicting witness testimonies — how far away Brown was, whether or not Brown assaulted Wilson, whether or not he robbed a store beforehand — McCulloch evidently did not present

a clear enough case to warrant an indictment for Wilson. And the riots that began in response to the decision were unwise; violence is not the ideal way to draw supporters to a cause.

That is not to say the grand jury’s decision was wholly correct; Wilson should have been indicted.

The fact that there is still confusion surrounding Brown’s death only proves that Wilson should have at least gone to trial. And, by law, a grand jury is convened to determine the basis on which charges are brought by a prosecutor, not to hear the subject’s testimony or evidence meant to clear the subject, both of which were heard by the Ferguson grand jury.

Questions about McCulloch’s actions and Brown’s death exist; the Ferguson case is far from closed.

There is no similar confusion in Pantaleo’s case: the video of Garner’s death provides a play-byplay record of what occurred. The footage emphasizes the need for a definitive investigation into the type of chokehold used, and whether or not Pantaleo used excessive force.

The reactions of protestors are

“

“

Hayoung Park (9)

Evan Pasko (10)

The police officers didn’t give [Brown or Garner] any time to explain; they just attacked them. They should have been indicted.

understandable; allowing Pantaleo to walk away with no consequence seems equivalent to condoning police brutality.

The words “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “I can’t breathe” continue to resound across the country. As long as Wilson and Garner are untried, the anger and controversy will not die. In response to the great many that believe the state courts acted unfairly, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its investigation into the Ferguson case on Sept. 4 and into Garner’s death on Dec. 3. The country can only hope that justice will be served. The cases have brought to light the reason black Americans, especially men, feel victimized by police. A proper examination of police actions while on the job is necessary to ensure the force meant to protect and serve is indeed protecting and serving every member of its community. Whether it be through mandating the use of body cameras, convening special grand juries for cases in which a police officer is the accused, or heightening the punishment for excessive force, something must be done.

Police brutality, against black

men in particular, is no longer an issue to be swept under the rug. It is not a problem of the past — it is current and all too real. It is time to fix the broken parts of the system that allow black men to be publicly choked to death without consequence for the killer, starting with recognizing the injustices that the grand juries’ decisions permit.

ART BY CAROLYN CHU/FALCONER

STUDENT VOICES

Whether or not a police officer did it ... [the crime should have] had the same repercussions as any other murder.

Do you think the grand juries’ decisions to not indict the officers were fair?

”

It’s the justice system and it’s what we have to trust in ... As for the indictment, I wasn’t there, so I don’t know all the evidence.

Valerie Arnett (11)

Louis Vincent (12)

Prepare for a nuclear winter, America! How dare you offend my honor like this?! READY THE NUKES.

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

We, the Falconer staff, are dedicated to creating a monthly newspaper with the intent of encouraging independent thinking, expanding our knowledge of journalism, and providing the TPHS student body and community with a truthful, unbiased news source, in accordance with our First Amendment rights.

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...is, as usual, being the brunt of the joke in the White House

Clearly the most serious issue the DPRK has to deal with right now...

the strip by carolyn chu

3710 Del Mar Heights Road San Diego, CA 92130

”

[Having] a grand jury gave bias in favor of the white officers because only the prosecution was allowed to ask questions.

The Falconer is the student newspaper of Torrey Pines High School. Its content, which is the responsibility of the Falconer staff, is not subject to administrative approval. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the staff, while opinion columns represent the writer’s perspective.

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A8 the falconer

opinion

december 12, 2014

Climate change must be recognized in the United States COPY EDITOR

The agreement on climate change and environmental policy reached Nov. 12 by the United States and China at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is a significant achievement. China’s willingness to come to an agreement with the United States on climate change represents a first in foreign relations.

It is therefore a huge step forward, with the United States agreeing to curb its carbon emissions by at least 26 percent before 2025 and China planning to halt its increase in emissions before 2030. However, the United States cannot uphold the agreement without a firm consensus on the need for action.

In China, there is an internal impetus for change. On Sept. 10, the Los Angeles Times reported that public anger over poor air quality and increasing citizen demands for definitive action prompted the Chinese government to begin tackling emissions. In the article, Daniel Worster, an environmental historian at the University of Kansas, stated that “China’s leaders seem to

be demonstrating a sincere intention of making progress, knowing that they must respond to the increasing public frustration to maintain their legitimacy.” In fact, even before this agreement, the Chinese government outlined a plan to spend around $275 billion to try to reduce further carbon emissions.

But what about the United States?

Many politicians have attacked the deal for being one-sided since the United States must reduce its emissions, while China only needs to halt the increase of its pollution.

Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who may soon become chair of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, criticized the deal and voiced doubts that China would even hold up its end of the bargain. However, in the status quo, China seems more likely to reduce emissions than the United States.

China and the United States are the world’s two largest contributors to carbon air pollution, many times ahead of Russia and India, who are next in line, according to the [London] Guardian. What China has that the United States does not, however, is a focused and concentrated public opinion that emissions must be reduced. The $275 billion plan to reduce emissions was a product of public outrage and demands for government action — and it’s not hard to see why the Chinese people are adamant about change. When one cannot see the sun through Beijing smog, or when people go

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE TASIA MOCHERNAK The Falconer news editor reflects on sibling rivalry and sisterly love.

to work wearing face masks, the direness of the situation becomes apparent. But in the United States, where the sun shines and people do not collapse from coughing fits in the middle of the streets, the necessity for policy that could potentially hurt economic development is not so apparent. And without such drastic conditions, it is easier for many to deny climate change altogether. Sen. Inhofe himself is a very vocal denier of climate change and the negative effects of human pollution on the environment. But doubt is no longer a luxury that the United States — or the world — can afford. Climate change has obscured the once-pristine views from the elevated Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park, and The New York Times reported that in 30 years, Glacier National Park may no longer have any glaciers.

T h e immense damage that warmer climates can cause is not just limited to federally protected nature reserves.

Erratic weather, dangerous storms and rising water levels are all reasons to take definitive

action now, to speak nothing of the irreparable loss of different species of animals who cannot adapt to rapidly-changing conditions. It should not take the particulate-choked air of post-industrial Xingtai, a Chinese city ranked 12 spots higher than Beijing in terms of Fine Particle Matter micrograms per cubic meter, to spur America into action. It should not take waking up to no visible sunlight to unite the citizens of the world’s largest per-capita polluter in recognizing that human pollution is a monumental problem. The conditions of Chinese cities are example enough that even if one does not believe climate

change is affecting the environment, at least air pollution can affect people in ways that are very real and extremely harmful. The people of the United States need to come together and let the government know that the environment should come before the economy, and climate change denial is a senseless barrier to public health.

Once, I was woken up by the beam of a flashlight millimeters away from my eyes. Other times, I was dragged off my bed, tickled awake, jumped on or sprayed with freezing water.

Who would ever subject me to such horrible torture, you may ask? It’s not my mom or dad or older sibling who wants to make my life miserable, but an 8-year-old girl, her pigtails tied up with ribbons, giggling and telling me I shouldn’t be such a “lazy butt” as I desperately fend off her attacks.

Her name is Natalia, but her Russian nickname, Dusia, comes from her red, chubby cheeks, partially toothless smile and extremely outgoing personality. We look as alike as any siblings and play the same sports, but that’s where our similarities end. She’s lefthanded and I’m right-handed; she dominates at hip hop while I’m more of a ballerina; she adamantly refuses to eat chocolate — more Halloween candy for me — and she’s naturally better than me in nearly everything she does. She has already broken a studio record with a score of 96 for a ballet examination, received multiple awards from the California State PTA’s national achivement and recognition program for students, made the finals of a few tennis tournaments and started a small third grade school newspaper with her friends.

And I can’t even attempt to compete with her level of cuteness, kindness and overall charisma.

unfortunate addiction to my phone.

She does many activities that I don’t even think about doing, including learning Chinese at Sunday school and Spanish in after-school classes, Skyping my grandmas, reading stacks of books as tall as she is and participating in five different types of dance, and all her to-do list says is “Be happy.” And I truly believe she is, because it is impossible to bring her down.

such a defining characteristic of her childhood; the sooner she renounces it, the sooner she will lose her trust in innate goodness and wonder at everything she encounters — including her belief in my “greatness.”

With any luck, she won’t lose belief in her own abilities.

In kindergarten, my sister made a turkey cutout saying, “I am thankful for Tasia,” and in second grade, she wrote, “If it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would be horrible at dance. If it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would be bad at tennis. If it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would be different. If it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would be messy. And if it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would never have fun.”

Does this mean I’m the secret to her success, her infallibility, her joy? Over the past few years, I have realized that, instead of being a little mischievous devil disguised as an adorable cherub, Dusia has become an irreplaceable constant in my life.

If I lose her, I cannot ever be happy again, and it is comforting to know that the same is true for her as well.

Just as her confidence in fairies and pixies is a red thread in her life, so is she in mine, and I hope no figurative scissors or knives or spindles — she loves all types of Disney stories and movies — come along to cut her out of my life.

Although I do not believe in fairies, genies or other such miracles, I can’t be sure that my sister isn’t one.

PHOTO BY GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

She tells me she aspires to be like me, but I don’t know if that’s the best idea. While she exudes confidence, unabashed inquisitiveness, and limitless spirit and determination — qualities I probably had as a third grader, but have since lost — I’ve turned into the stereotypical, apathetic teenager with an

ART BY RUSSELL REED/FALCON ARTIST

By Austin Zhang

All her to-do list says is “Be happy.” And I truly believe she is, because it is impossible to bring her down.

This weekend, my sister drew a significant crowd of strangers to her tennis match against the No. 2 seed in the tournament, not because of the quality of the match, but because of her unrelenting radiance and buoyancy even when she lost a set 0-6 and was cheated out of a couple points. While I nearly fought with her opponent’s parents over a few bad calls, Dusia just kept bouncing around the court, grinning and saying “nice shot” to the other girl. After the match, my friend remarked, “Why does the person who just lost the match look so much happier than the winner?”

I wish there were secret instructions hidden in one of her fairy books that explained how to be so confident and upbeat, and consequently, so invincible. Maybe they involve pixie dust, buttercup soup or everfruit extract? After all, one of her most endearing traits is her certainty in the existence of fairies and other mythical characters like Santa Claus and leprechauns, which she openly expresses by checking out record-breaking numbers of Rainbow Magic books from the library and building fairy houses everywhere without questioning their legitimacy.

I hope her faith in the things most of us consider naïve continues for many more years because it is

In second grade, [my sister] wrote ... “If it weren’t for you, Tasia, I would be different ... I would never have fun.”

When I was about 7 years old, I asked my parents if I could have a little brother, sister or “even a little chicken” for my birthday. My parents have provided me with every necessity and fulfilled many of my desires, but the best gift they have ever given me is my sister. Although I do not believe in fairies, genies or other such miracles, I can’t be sure that Dusia isn’t one.

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A9

Immigration executive order is reasonable COPY EDITOR

President Barack Obama is the head of a politically inactive country. During his first term, he had a Democrat-controlled Senate and House of Representatives, but was accused of skirting around important issues and training his eyes on reelection. Now, with a Republican majority and a Congress riddled with partisanship, Obama’s hands are tied. People have pointed fingers at his inaction, but when he finally decided to do something, he was met with more criticism than support.

On Nov. 20 Obama announced a series of executive actions concerning illegal immigration: prioritizing the deportations of criminals over those of families, curbing illegal immigration at the border with Mexico and allowing certain undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States without fear of deportation if they pay taxes and pass a criminal background check.

Congress’ inability to pass legislation regarding any remotely controversial issue, let alone immigration, has left Obama with a choice: issue the comprehensive immigration reform the United States needs or watch the

country hang itself over meaningless squabbles.

The United States needs immigration reform, and badly.

Undocumented parents are torn from their citizen children. People are returned to the places of violence and oppression they risked everything to escape. Children who grow up in the United States are sent back to some unknown country where they do not speak the language or understand the culture, simply because their parents entered the United States illegally. It is very easy to write undocumented immigrants off as “illegals,” evil people who do nothing but take American jobs, but the issue is much more complex.

Undocumented immigrants are not just names on a list; they are people.

Twelve million of them. And can we, in good conscience, send those people back to abject poverty and gang violence?

“Felons, not families” seems to be the unofficial motto of Obama’s executive actions. The orders move families down the list of deportees, even allowing people to apply for a three-year stay if they meet certain residency and financial requirements, while moving criminals up the list, which seems more like common sense than the “amnesty” bandied about tirelessly by Fox News and other conservative organizations.

If those people actually look at the executive orders Obama issued instead of endlessly spamming the Internet with “#lawlessObama” and “#impeachObama,” they might be more open to embracing them.

For one thing, the actions do not

guarantee permanent residence in the United States, nor do they protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. The order only applies to people who have been living in the United States for five years or more, not anyone who has come recently or is planning to come in the future. As it is not feasible to deport every single undocumented immigrant, the order simply prioritizes who to deport — felons, not families. There will also be stricter punishment for illegally crossing the border: Undocumented immigrants will have to pay a fine and start paying their taxes in order to be covered under Obama’s executive orders. Obama acknowledges that illegal immigration is a huge problem in the United States — he has deported more undocumented immigrants in his first term than George W. Bush did in his entire presidency — but unlike Bill O’Reilly and other conser vative pundits, who believe that all

undocumented immigrants should somehow be transported back to their original countries, or radical liberals, who believe that the United States should have a permeable border, Obama finds middle ground in his executive actions.

It has long been “established” that Obama can do nothing right in this country. No matter what happens, Republicans will blindly blame him. On the rare occasion that he supports a moderate bill, he is ostracized by both major parties.

At least Obama has tried to fix a key problem that Congress treats as an arguing point during elections rather than as a real issue. Immigration bills that actually emerged in either the House or the Senate are imprisoned in political gridlock. When Congress is so unwilling to break its political impasse, the president must do Congress’ job. Obama did not overstep his power; executive orders are rights given to the president by the Constitution and used repeatedly by presidents throughout history. And if Congress does not like it, Obama has an answer for them: Pass a bill.

ART BY TERESA CHEN/FALCON ARTIST

By Maya Rao

Retail stores should not hire based on image STAFF WRITER

Abercrombie & Fitch allegedly refused to hire practicing Muslim Samantha Elauf because she wore a headscarf during her interview.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, wearing a headscarf necessitates a “religious exemption” from Abercrombie & Fitch’s “look policy,” which states that hats are prohibited for employees.

Elauf wore a black hijab to her interview, received a low score in the “appearance and sense of style” category, and was consequently denied the job. The company claimed that they did indeed have an exception, albeit limited, for religious head-coverings, but since Elauf did not personally ask for one during the time of the interview, she could not be hired.

However, why should an employee have to request an exemption based on religion, unless the company is inherently discriminatory? Perhaps the real issue behind the “look policy” is that the company discriminates based on religion and conceals its discrimination behind the excuse of a requirement for a “religious exemption.”

The “look policy” opposes not only religious attire, but also facial hair, clothing inconsistent with the season, unnaturally-bleached hair and earrings that dangle. While basic

grooming and clothing guidelines can be set down by an employer, absolute control of nearly every aspect of physical appearance should be prohibited. It seems absurd that the minute details of someone’s image would be such a huge factor in judging his or her suitability as an employee.

In addition to Abercrombie & Fitch’s strict and specific rules in its “look policy,” the company also refers to its employees as “models,” therein implying a certain profile of their appearance. More often than not, employees at the stores are confined to a narrow set of physical characteristics: skinny, Caucasian and conventionally good-looking.

According to The New York Times, Abercrombie & Fitch was sued in both 2003 and 2006 for racial discrimination. The company was accused of favoring Caucasians for its sales floor jobs, seeking to project what the company calls the “classic American feel.” Through this biased hiring policy, Abercrombie & Fitch also indirectly implies the type of consumer it is aiming for. This results in the retailer alienating a vast majority of Americans who do not fit the confines of a prejudiced profile.

In light of recent campaigns that work to eliminate any negative stigma attached to certain body types — like Meghan Trainor’s body positive song “All About That Bass” — and on the simple basis of morality, the concept of a “look policy” should not exist at all. The company will see a decrease in revenue unless it starts hiring a more diverse range of employees and manufactures apparel to suit various body types and demographics.

Progressive steps like these will undoubtedly win the favor of buyers and boost the popularity of the store.

Simply continuing to cater to its usual customer base will not help sales.

Clothing retailer American Apparel also implements a “look policy” just as harsh as that of Abercrombie & Fitch.

The retailer has been known not to hire people who are overweight and has recently gone to new extremes in its rules, prohibiting employees from wearing particular brands and adopting a highly offensive “no-ugly” policy. With this policy, head-to-toe pictures of employees are sent to a consultant, and if the employee is not deemed attractive enough or is not wearing the right brand of shoes, he

or she can be dismissed.

The ruthless policy on appearance sheds a bad light on American Apparel, while promoting a negative message about body image in society. Prospective buyers can feel inadequate, even embarrassed, by shopping at a place that does not celebrate their appearance, further proliferating the alarming prevalence of low self-esteem in today’s society.

Morally and legally, hiring employees based on physical appearance is reprehensible and alienates a large portion of a company’s consumer base. And

prioritizing religious affiliation or race over work experience and actual ability is both unethical and blatantly discriminatory. Retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch evidently favor a certain race and body type, and through an unethical policy, have denied the workers employment.

Companies should not choose workers based on appearance, religion or ethnicity, but should rather pursue policies that provide equal opportunity to all potential hires.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch in early 2015.

ART BY CAROLYN CHU/FALCON ARTIST

By Maya Kota

A10 the falconer

advertisement

december 12, 2014

Robin— Next stop, UCSD.

Where can we take you?

After completing their studies at MiraCosta College, students transfer to great four-year institutions like UC San Diego and other UCs, Cornell, MIT and Cal State campuses. At just $46/credit, you can’t afford not to enroll at MiraCosta College!

Learn more at miracosta.edu/nextstop.

Connect with us.

things to keep in mind as we swing into the holiday party season

any person who knowingly allows the possession or consumption of alcohol by underage drinkers on property he or she owns, rents or controls, including vacant land.

Anyone hosting a party is required to: Verify the age of guests Control access to alcohol to those under 21 Supervise minors

serving alcohol to a minor is considered a class 2 misdemeanor you can be: cited or arrested fined up to $1,000 or more sentenced up to 6 months in jail billed for law enforcement services parents who knowingly allow their children to drive under the influence will be held responsible

even parents who “should know� kids are holding a party with alcohol are liable.

infographic by sarah chan, amanda chen and sarah kim/falconer

*Information provided by San Diego County Sheriff’s Department website

A12 the falconer

feature

december 12, 2014

IN·TRO·VERT (noun)

a shy, reticent person

As a dancer, Emily Hou (10) is used to expressing herself in front of large audiences. Professing emotions through dance has always been easy for her, both at home and onstage.

However, with each pirouette, Hou twirls between her performing persona and a shyer version of herself.

Hou is a self-proclaimed introvert. According to MyersBriggs, an organization that produces personality tests designed to facilitate understanding human behavior, introverts are seen as “reflective” and “reserved,” and prefer to deal with ideas and memories internally. Introverts “prefer doing things alone or with one to two people, and take time to reflect so that [they] have a clear idea of what [they] will be doing when they decide to act.”

Hou feels that her introversion affects her onstage expressions, as well as her interactions with other dancers. In group conversations, for instance, Hou often does not choose to share personal thoughts.

“Once, when I was at a dance competition … we were in the hallway socializing and I realized that I felt really uncomfortable, while other people on my team were socializing really well,” Hou said. “I just wanted to leave.”

According to psychologist Marjorie Miller, Hou’s behavior is common — introverts are often “shy and quiet, and socially uncomfortable.”

In contrast, self-professed introvert Salman Sadakkadulla (10) finds it relatively easy to open up to others. According to him, the introverted stereotype of being antisocial does not accurately reflect the personalities of introverted people.

“I talk to people all the time,” Sadakkadulla said.

“I might be less introverted than other people, but I feel that being introverted and being unsocial are two different things. I do hang out with my friends, and I do like to be social … [but] I have times when I like to read a book alone or just hang out by myself.”

Introverts are fully capable of socializing well with others, according to Miller; in small, intimate groups, they can open up and display characteristics usually associated with extroverts.

“The key distinguishing thing to know is that introverts are just as interested in people, and they love just as deeply and they’re just as good friends,” Miller said. “They just require a retreat from people to get their energy back.”

According to Miller, introverts tend to be pathologized in our culture, which “places value on extroverted, charismatic people.”

Hou believes that introverts are often misunderstood by others. Unlike extroverted people, introverts can have a more difficult time opening up to strangers.

“Meeting new people is difficult,” Hou said.

“It takes some time.”

According to psychology teacher Chas Doerrer, a negative view of introverts is connected to the high value employers place on extroverts, or people who are energized by social interactions. “[In class], we do an article reading about what employers miss, as far as the traits of an introvert, because they look for extroverted traits [like multitasking and quick-thinking], but there

are skills and traits that you don’t see,” Doerrer said. “I think the debate on who has better skills is interesting because the introvert [might be] the harder worker or have better knowledge that you don’t see during an interview.”

The key distinguishing thing to know is that introverts are just as interested in people, and they love just as deeply and they’re just as good friends. They just require a retreat from people to get their energy back.

Marjorie Miller psychologist

Sadakkadulla said that these more subtle, hidden qualities can be incredibly powerful.

“I don’t have to act for other people, I don’t have to show other people how I am,” Sadakkadulla said. “I have my reserved moments where I can think and ponder over something by myself.”

However, Sadakkadulla recognizes the possible disadvantages of introverted behavior, like keeping personal problems to oneself instead of talking about them with other people, because shutting others out and not letting them help with emotional struggles can lead to seclusion and antisocial feelings.

According to Miller, however, thinking deeply before solving problems or responding to complicated issues is a major advantage.

“An introvert will be really inclined to pause and think and grapple with complicated questions,” Miller said.

Hou appreciates her tendency to think through her thoughts and ideas before speaking.

“From my experiences with new environments, extroverts [seem to] be uncomfortable and deviate from their personality,” Hou said. “Introverts have that time period to adjust within ourselves.”

Despite the common idea that people are either highly introverted or extroverted, Sadakkadulla feels that qualities of both personality types are embedded in everyone.

No one can truly be a pure introvert or a pure extrovert — there’s always a balance people have. If someone was a pure extrovert, they’d be shunned by society, and if anyone was purely an introvert, they’d [also] be shunned.

Salman Sadakkadulla student

“No one can truly be a pure introvert or a pure extrovert — there’s always a balance people have,” said Sadakkadulla. “If someone was a pure extrovert, they’d be shunned by society, [but] if anyone was purely an introvert, they’d [also] be shunned by society.”

Regardless of personality classification, students like Hou still find ways to dance around definitive stereotypes and balance the integrity of their individual identities.

by Katie Mulkowsky and Maya Parella

Much like a malignant tumor on the body’s organs and tissues, the diagnosis of cancer can metastasize outward to affect the family, friends and community of a cancer patient. Such is the power of this metastasis that nearly everyone can name someone—mother, brother, uncle, friend—who is fighting, has won or has lost a battle with this ubiquitous disease. In the wake of beloved teacher and ASB director Scott Chodorow’s death to cancer, the Falconer reflects on the impact cancer has on students’ lives and explores suggestions for prevention.

PHOTOS BY ROBBIE JOHNSON/FALCONER

F

my father

or years, I’ve heard the “C-Word” whispered and spit out, hurled into safeguarding against the hurt they tried to prevent. the quietest corners of my house and tucked into moments of irrational Once again, we distracted each other from parts of self-doubt. It’s followed me through middle school hallways and dinner reality that we found impossible to directly internalize. table arguments — sometimes only in remission, but still dormant There’re only the three of us — Mom, Dad and me — in nonetheless. Every family has a Cancer Story; I knew this before I knew my own. my immediate family, and we worried simultaneously Like many, I’ve internalized the sickness personally, even though it’s never been but protected one another from personal fears. Maybe mine. Experiencing its intricacy and aggression secondhand, I’ve seen its power: this wasn’t the best way for us to be strong for each terrible when unleashed and futile to fear. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from other, but we all tried our best to move forward. being the daughter of a patient, however, it’s that cancer is less about the disease We talk about it openly, now. Today Dad tells and more about what families can take from it. me his favorite quote about our situation is that My parents and I always tried to distract each other — we coped this way from “cancer is a word, not a sentence.” He never the start. It was September of 2001, and the Twin Towers had just fallen. I was planned to get sick, but his experience hasn’t four, so I don’t remember much, but I do recall that Mom and Dad were incredibly been entirely full of negatives. His doctor now shaken. Their roots were on the east coast, and even though they didn’t experience checks and treats patients 10 years earlier any direct losses, “everyone knew someone who knew someone,” my dad says. than he did before Dad’s accidental diagnosis.

About a week later, they took me to Legoland, of all places. Dad tells me we “You get a diagnosis, you get yourself went to restore some happiness and normalcy in my life, but I’d venture to assume together, you get over your fears, you get a that my parents needed the trip more than I did. treatment plan, you follow through I apparently didn’t want to do much walking with it.” The fact that Dad can now that day, so I made Dad carry me for most of it. speak about his experience with The next day, his back hurt. I was heavy; he was hindsight is one of its most beautiful sore. Nothing unusual. qualities.

He had a routine checkup scheduled for My father is the strongest, most the next day, though, so the backaches were resilient man I know. He taught me mentioned to his doctor. Incidentally, lower back how to laugh at myself, and how to pain is a common sign of metastasized prostate love others unconditionally. Cancer cancer. Dad had no other symptoms — he was completely healthy — but they ran will always be something we find personally his PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, anyway. A normal value is lower than four affecting, but Dad isn’t just a “patient,” and nanograms per milliliter of blood, and Dad’s were off the charts. we know now that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t However, his cancer hadn’t metastasized yet — the back pains were actually have to be an ultimatum. Most people who just byproducts of my ruthless kicking. By the off-chance of his ailment, we caught know Dad have no idea he’s sick, and most the cancer early. Dad tells me that if he hadn’t taken us to Legoland that day, people who know me have no idea, either. if I hadn’t been a literal pain in the back, he wouldn’t have said anything to his We’ve processed it in the ways that worked doctor, and diagnosis may have come too late. In trying to momentarily shield me best for us at the time, and in doing so, from the world’s horrors, Dad was exposed to ones of his own. Although bitterly learned more about each other. Nothing ironic, this saved his life. about the future is certain, but I will Dad says that when he was diagnosed, he wanted to physically crawl out of his always be proud of the way Dad skin. He felt healthy — he was a father and working husband living a relatively carried this weight. normal life — but there was something threatening in his body, and its impact

By Katie Mulkowsky was entirely out of our control. When my parents were given his original prognosis of one to two years, they were paralyzed. Dad lost his father when he was only 16, and his biggest fear was leaving me in the same way.

“But you can’t always expect the worst, because all you have is today, anyway.”

Almost thirteen years later, Dad tells me this as we sit outside our favorite café, sharing a latte and overpriced omelet. We were never guaranteed the memories we have of each other now; we weren’t even supposed to be together this long. Or maybe we were. Maybe Dad was meant to defy his original odds.

The surgery that was supposed to cure Dad right after his diagnosis failed to do so entirely. He has since bounced from one drug to the next, undergoing experimental treatment when those stop working. Some were easier than others; I haven’t forgotten the sound of my parents’ late-night emergency room rushes for scary side-effects. It was always strange to watch someone with so much power in my life be rendered powerless in the workings of his own. I love my father to death, but am usually awful at showing it.

Dad’s sickness wasn’t always something I processed openly, though. Since I was so young when he was diagnosed, my parents never actually sat down and told me he was sick until after I found out on my own. I always subtly resented the fact that they didn’t tell me earlier, but when I look at the four-year-old self still immortalized in picture frames on Dad’s nightstand, I really can’t blame them.

He tells me that they wanted to maintain the “fun, frilly innocence” of my childhood, that he couldn’t bring himself to put an end to it. He loved me Heart cancer is extremely rare; less than 0.1 percent fiercely and fought to protect me from a part of of the population is affected. However, other himself that even he was terrified by.

During these years, the C-Word shrouded cancers, like melanoma, can spread to the heart. my home in secrecy. Phone calls were often furtive and hushed. Hospital wristbands were stowed away in locked drawers. Pamphlets were quickly flipped over upon my entrance into a room.

Honestly, I don’t even remember exactly how I found out. Maybe it was the fault of a voicemail overheard; maybe I finally thought about his past surgeries and put two and two together. I do remember quietly sneaking onto our family computer to see if Google knew whether or not Dad might die.

It was strange to “research” a problem so personal, but how else was I supposed to understand? I didn’t dare ask my parents — I couldn’t tell them they Breast cancer is the second most had failed to shield me from their common cancer diagnosed in fears. Even the fourth-grade me women in the U.S; skin cancer somehow felt responsible for

The C-Word

my home in secrecy.

heart cancer

breast cancer

lung cancer

is first.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, claiming more lives than colon, prostate, ovarian, and breast cancers combined. *Information from Mayo Clinic

M

my tumor scare

y doctor told me last summer that they were going to run an MRI on my head. I did not know what to think. I was simply visiting my doctor, hoping for medication to treat the intense, prolonged headaches that I was experiencing at the time.

An MRI was the last thing I expected. I have been privileged with great health my whole life — being tested for a possibly serious medical issue was a prospect I never wanted to entertain.

When I asked what they would look for in the MRI, I was told a list of possibilities. Yet the one word that stood out to me was “tumor.”

While my doctor informed me finding a tumor was not likely, the fact that there was any chance terrified me. It was something completely unforeseen, something completely perplexing, something so destructive that could be in my brain — one of the most complex and delicate systems in the body.

Even the word “tumor” seemed so foreign; it always felt like a concept that would never be directed toward me. It seemed so distant, certainly not in my realm of possibilities. That sick person could not be me.

I broke down upon arrival at the MRI facility. Walking in, I was angry at the friendly nurses who were possibly about to diagnose me with a cancerous tumor. I was scared of not fully comprehending what was happening inside my own body. I felt really, really alone.

I

I placed myself on the MRI bed, my body shaking uncontrollably. As I lay down, the technician told me a fluid would be injected through an I.V. in my arm halfway through the procedure that would “show all the little tumors” in my head. At that point, I was holding back tears, realizing this was impossibly serious.

My mom held my hand as the machine slowly moved me under the magnet. I felt its force penetrate my body.

Lying on the bed for 45 minutes, unable to talk while the MRI machine’s loud beeping and buzzing vibrated through the room, left me alone with my thoughts. It was one of the most isolating moments of my life.

Being a practical, yet often dramatic, person, all I could think about was how my life was going to change when I found out I had a tumor: How was I going to tell my friends? Who was I going to tell? Would I go to school anymore? Were my dreams of college and a normal life no longer possible? The fact that this potential tumor was directly affecting me, instead of someone on television or even a relative, terrified me. With tears streaming from my closed eyes, I clenched my jaw and held my lips still in order not to ruin the exam.

Waiting for the results the following week was hellish. My head still ached, but I tried to stay as optimistic as a teenager who might have a brain tumor possibly could. Later, while my brother and I were watching a movie, I heard my mom’s phone ring in the other room.

“Hello, thanks for calling. Okay, okay. I see.

Possible surgery? Is it common?”

I started to cry when I heard the word “surgery.” I thought my worst fear was coming true; I thought my life was changing irrevocably. I was sure I had a brain tumor. My brother tried to console me, saying we would find the best treatment for me no matter the cost. He made it seem all the more real and immediate.

My mom came quickly into my room telling me I was fine and had no tumor. I remember feeling shocked, yet confused, yet beyond overjoyed that I was healthy.

I would and could never compare my temporary medical scare over the summer to the constant fear someone diagnosed with cancer feels. I experienced the anxiety of testing for cancer and the feeling of a lack of control over my own body, but in no way did I experience the true and extensive physical and mental pain and terror of being diagnosed with cancer. I cannot define myself as a victim, only as someone who had a small, short-term dose of the emotions cancer can inflict on one’s state of mind. I cannot express fully how grateful I am for the positive results I received. Experiencing the emotional scare of the mere possibility of a cancer diagnosis illuminates a sliver of the multidimensional effects of this horrible illness. Cancer not only affects the physical body; it truly messes with your mind.

by Caroline Rutten

Yet one word that stood out to me was

my grandparents

was too naive, and too young, to understand. All I knew was that my parents, who usually spoke to each other in bitter tones and loud voices, were hugging. My mother was crying, and managed to say that my grandmother was sick. Sick. This word had a small spectrum of meaning to me — the flu, strep throat, maybe a winter cold. Cancer was distant and something I only had read and heard about, but it cuts deeper when someone you love is in its hands.

We wanted to move her here, where the doctors are less abrasive and more welltrained, but the giant oxygen machine keeping her alive couldn’t be brought with her, and the 12-hour flight would have been too long for her lungs without it. The humming beige box was connected to her nose via clear tubes, and it was scary to think that my grandma’s life relied on something that needed to be plugged into an outlet.

My mom, my younger sister and I flew back to China to be with her for six weeks. There were weekly trips to the hospital, where they drained a brackish fluid from her lungs, and each time we drove there my grandma would smile at me like this was simply a fact of life. And it is, because sickness of all kinds is everywhere, but I thought she should have been angrier. She deserved to be. Years later, I admire the way she accepted her fate and instead chose to find joy in the face of death.

While there, my mom insisted on seeing several doctors in the hope of a diagnosis that inspired more optimism. She found none. The

weeks passed slowly, and I spent most of it reading the books my grandma had collected in tall, white shelves. A number of them were in Chinese or French, languages she studied and taught. I brought several English ones home with me: “David Copperfield,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Crime and Punishment.”

The last one was her favorite. When I read it again for class in 10th grade, I had to stop myself from staring at her handwritten name on the inside cover, relishing the thought that the woman from whom I inherited my love for language once breathed in those same words.

It cuts deeper when is in its hands.

I remember the first phone call, in the middle of the night, and I knew. Even before, my mom hesitated every time the phone rang, checking the country code, because we all knew. When I woke up, she told me that her father had died from a heart attack. To lose him was completely unexpected for the entire family, but I felt worst for my mom, who had no closure and kept nervously waiting for the second phone call. She blamed herself for not spending more time with him, for thinking that he was just looking for attention when he complained about chest pain. She keeps his out-of-tune violin in her closet even though it smells of cigarette smoke.

He was not a particularly extraordinary person by any means; he had flaws that deeply affected the lives of those around

him — smoking in the house, for instance, was likely a major factor in my grandma’s sickness. But I also saw how his death affected my cousin, who saw my grandpa as a father figure, and my grandma, who felt her husband was integral to her existence, even if she didn’t show it.

I don’t think my grandparents loved each other in an affectionate way. I’m not even sure they loved each other the way spouses usually do. He often behaved like a child, someone who needed to be constantly watched and looked after, and as long as he lived, my grandma had someone to care for and live for. I always thought it was a rather onesided arrangement, but it was in her nature to be responsible and in his to latch on to a responsible person. It’s a beautiful thing to have a person with whom you share your life, and hers had ceased to exist. She passed a few months after he did.

Not long before my grandpa died, we learned that all the doctors were wrong about my grandma’s lung cancer — it was actually a lung disease that worked much more slowly, with a different treatment. This was the reprieve my mom had looked for years before; it became guilt for her now. She was drowning in what-ifs, spending nights researching any treatments that could lengthen the time my grandma had left. But I never learned its name, because I refused to let the last five years of her life define her. After my grandma died, my mom eventually accepted the past in the way my grandma had accepted the future.

Sickness was a very small fraction of those 74 years — we remember her for her life.

By Anna Li

art by myles hamilton/falconer

Lifestyle, health and dietary choices are essential to the prevention of cancer. Although cancer is not entirely preventable, there are many precautionary steps to reduce your risk of developing cancer.

At least

of cancers are preventable.

Lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of cancer include physical activity and healthy weight; safe sex; avoiding household use of solid fuels, like charcoal or coal; and sunscreen use.

-Information from National Institutes of Health

-Information from World Health Organization

is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. is the single greatest risk factor for cancer. causes more than 163,000 cancer deaths per year in the U.S. is responsible for over 22% of cancer deaths per year.

Avoid too much red or processed meat, such as bacon, ham, sausage, or hot dogs.

Excessive consumption increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

-Information from National Cancer Institute

*Information provided by Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Alcohol should be used in moderation. It is linked to oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectum and breast cancer.

-Information from National Cancer Institute

Environmental pollution is responsible for 1-4% of cancer-related deaths through drinking water and air.

-Information from World Health Organization

Common items known to emit radiation include color televisions, microwaves, laser light shows, and cell phones.

Try to schedule routine check-ups with your doctor.

If you think something is wrong, see a doctor.

-Information from American Cancer Society

-Information from U.S. Food and Drug Administration

LIVING WITH DIAGNOSIS Get Informed

Open Communication

Coping Strategies

Support Groups

Obtain as much information about the cancer diagnosis as you can. The ďŹ rst step to coping with cancer is to clear away any confusion, misconceptions and stigmas by personally talking to a medical professional about the diagnosis.

If a loved one has cancer, respect his or her boundaries by establishing your role in his or her treatment. Prevent confusion or tension by learning to accept help if you are diagnosed, and by learning how to offer help if you are healthy.

Practice relaxation techniques, such as yoga, or keep a journal that may help in organizing your thoughts. You may also elect to seek a spiritual source of support, such as a church or temple. A therapist or psychiatrist may help as well.

Contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society, or ask your doctor about support groups in your area. Programs are available both for people diagnosed with cancer and those who have loved ones diagnosed with cancer.

-Information from Mayo Clinic

ART BY MYLES HAMILTON/FALCONER

feature

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A13

EX·TRO·VERT

(noun)

an outgoing, expressive person

“Extroverted” is not an uncommon word. It is usually used to refer to outgoing personality traits and sociable, self-confident behaviors. To psychologist Daniel Singley, however, the definition is not so simple. “[An extrovert is] somebody who finds him[self] or herself recharged by the presence of other people, as opposed to an introvert, who commonly finds it more depleting,” Singley said.

However, determining extroversion or introversion depends heavily on context, according to Singley.

“For example, somebody who’s going to be more extroverted in a bar after a few drinks with old friends from grade school might not necessarily be so extroverted during new employee orientation in a job,” Singley said.

Psychology teacher Matt Chess also believes that people can be extroverted in some cases but introverted in others.

“Extroversion ... usually involves more of an outward presentation of personality,” psychology teacher Matt Chess said. “I think what’s most common is they’d find that they’re some part extroverted, some part introverted, some part neutral, not all of one or the other.”

Chloe Laverson (10) said that she has always thought of herself as an extrovert.

“To me, [extroversion] means [being] super outgoing and loving to talk to people,” Laverson said. “I love being social, I love talking to my friends, I love finding out cool things about people.”

Similarly, Lauren Chan (11) is a self-proclaimed extrovert, as she “enjoys being around people for long periods of time.”

“I really like interacting with other people,” Chan said. “If there’s commotion, I like to insert myself into [the] commotion and see what’s going on.”

To be free-spirited or comfortable with your own perspectives doesn’t bode well in a setting where decorum is understood, [but] in orther places it’s certainly a wonderful aspect.

Matt Chess

���������� ������� However, certain settings, like formal occasions, require extroversion to be scaled back, according to Chess.

“To be free-spirited or comfortable with your own perspectives doesn’t bode well in a setting where decorum is understood, [such as] a church, a funeral, a dinner party, a nice restaurant,” Chess said. “In other places it’s certainly a wonderful aspect.”

Laverson also notices circumstances where she is calmer and quieter than one might expect of a stereotypical “extrovert.”

“There are definitely social situations where you cannot be loud and you cannot be talkative,” Laverson said.

Like Laverson, Chan adjusts her level of openness and engagement with others depending on the situation.

“I’m pretty shy and quiet in class, so people there don’t think I’m extroverted,” Chan said. “But when I’m with friends and family, I become more willing to speak out and interact with other people.”

However, Chan also adapts her behavior when around more reserved friends to avoid overshadowing them.

“With my close introverted friends, I tend to calm down a bit and I become quieter so I can listen to what they have to say,” Chan said.

According to Singley, while certain tests, such as the MyersBriggs Type Indicator, can determine whether a person leans more toward extroversion or introversion, ultimately it is the situation that dictates how a person behaves.

“The [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator] is one of the most commonly taken [personality] type indicators,” Singley said.

“Assessments like that kind of put you into a category along the continuum of extroversion versus introversion. So, in that sense, yes, you can say ‘I’m an extrovert,’ because that’s what the score is.”

However, Singley believes that while the MBTI can tell someone if they are more extroverted or introverted, the individual situation still has to be taken into account.

“There are going to be situations in which [extroverts] are going to have more introverted tendencies,” Singley said. “I don’t think it’s just a personality type.”

According to Chess, extroversion can be seen as advantageous, as it generally implies being more open and interactive.

“There is a sense that people who are more outgoing are, by definition, extroverted, and therefore more likely to get the job, get the girl, get the whatever,” Chess said. “That’s not always true, but it is true in some [instances]. If a person’s gregarious nature allows them to be involved in a conversation and that’s what’s going on, then it’s a really good, positive [aspect].”

Ava Hanna (9) also believes that extroverts are sometimes lauded for their ability and willingness to voice opinions.

“There are a lot of people who tend to give [extroverts] social bias,” Hanna said. “This is an extroverted society where everyone upholds the ... person who can communicate his or her ideas [most effectively] … [and] speak out for [his or her] individualism.”

According to Singley, people generally perceive extroverts as carefree and unreserved, but he does not always see this perception play out in reality.

“There is sort of a bias that extroverts are always having all the fun and everything’s always great for them, and introverts are kind of just a bunch of anxious types,” Singley said. “[But] I haven’t experienced that to be the case [in my work].”

Fundamentally, extroversion is a trait like any other — it has benefits and detriments.

by Lily Nilipour and Austin Zhang

DESIGN INSPIRED BY GETTY IMAGES ART BY SARAH CHAN AND SARAH KIM /FALCONER

A14 the falconer

PEER ASSISTANT LISTENERS Each month an anonymous PAL pens this column to offer help to all Falcons.

We all have times when we feel like shutting out the world.

For some, this feeling drags them down every day; for others, it pops up once in a while like a Halloween ghost. However, nobody can deny that family issues, friendship problems and school stresses take a toll on our lives. Being happy all the time is virtually impossible.

Humans are social creatures, and it’s hardly fair to link isolation and sadness. There’s no “one-sizefits-all” solution to tackle these circumstances simultaneously; different issues require different approaches.

Feeling dejected or withdrawn resonates with every student, but each experience varies. One PAL recalls going to his English class the first day of school, feeling like “a sheep surrounded by 30 vicious dogs.” Others remember sitting in “classrooms full of strangers who seemed to pity the new girl.”

While there is no simple answer to feeling less lonely and sad, there are certain steps to ensure this does not last forever.

Getting accustomed to a social environment is necessary to avoid long-term solitude and sorrow.

Developing connections will seem difficult at first, but once you integrate yourself among your peers, the process gets easier.

After all, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

For some, this acclimation comes with participation in clubs and teams, either athletic or academic. For others, it involves the development of individual relationships.

Ultimately, begin to think of people as potential companions, not as strangers. Step out of your comfort zone. Don’t fear rejection; true companions will come naturally. Always remember that there are people here to help through this process. These genuine relationships allow us to expand, improve and become the best versions of ourselves.

TPHS counseling and PALs are ready to support you throughout the year. You can request a PAL with whom to talk by stopping by room 49 or visiting the TPHS counseling webpage. The first step if you are feeling sad or lonely is reaching out and letting others listen to and support you.

feature

ONE 2,726 in

Most TPHS students approach the foreign language requirement as a yearlong mission to acquire 5 credits on their transcripts — not an opportunity for cultural immersion. However, Luis Cortes’ (11) foreign language “requirement” caused him to travel more than 5,500 miles away from his home of Vigo, in Northwest Spain, to TPHS, forcing him to overcome language barriers and to navigate new customs.

Cortes came to San Diego at the start of the 2013-2014 school year due to his father’s work relocation.

Although this was his first move, Cortes said it was “easy for [him] to adapt to the new environment.” For him, the most impressive change was the size of his new school.

“The first thing I remember was the big word ‘Torrey Pines’ in the front of the school, and I [thought] ‘Wow that’s a huge school,’” Cortes said. “It is like a college in Spain, it is so big.”

Cortes’ school in Spain had around 500 students, compared to the diverse population of 2,726 people at TPHS, where “people are very connected with each other.” Cortes has sailed since he was 7 years old and had played soccer in Spain, so he found it natural to participate in sports in the United States, too — he plays football and rugby at TPHS. In addition, taking advantage of San Diego’s sunny climate, which greatly contrasts Vigo’s frequent rain, Cortes fell in love with surfing.

“The first time I tried [surfing], it drove me crazy,” Cortes said.

A less natural transition for Cortes, however, was becoming accustomed to the patterns of school life at TPHS. In Spain, Cortes was enrolled in 13 courses each year and sat through six, hour-long classes each day.

“My school was really small, and the teachers were really different,” Cortes

december 12, 2014

After moving to San Diego from Vigo, Spain, Luis Cortes (11) shares his experiences as a foreign student at TPHS.

said. “In Spain, [the teachers tell the students] ‘Here is the book, learn this and this.’ Here the teacher tells you ‘This is the book and I’m going to do this to explain this better to you, and we’re going to do some activities to improve your understanding of this material. Also, the teachers change classrooms [in Spain], not the students.”

Although Cortes took sheltered English and various standard classes last year, he wanted to take classes as challenging as the ones he took in Spain and overcome the limitations that his level of English posed.

“Because of my English, a lot of people have been telling me I can’t do some things, but I am still doing those things and trying to improve at them,” Cortes said. “Last year, I [told my English teacher] that I wanted to start some regular English classes and have some AP classes, and she told me that my level of English was not good enough, and that I would have problems, but I told her that I really want to do this.”

This year, Cortes is taking AP Spanish, AP U.S. History and English 10.

“My favorite subject is history — this year it is AP U.S. History — and I think the English is kind of harder than in regular history, but, in general, I don’t have problems,” Cortes said.

Cortes hopes to attend college in the United States but says “it is good to know that even if I fail in the United States, I still have my family and all my people in Spain, so I have a second opportunity.”

by Tasia Mochernak

Luis Cortes PHOTO BY GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

i am a blogger.

By Irene Yu ACCOUNT Posts Customize Liked Followers Following Settings Log Out

16

Starting a blog -- an online journal, or weblog, entertainment and as a way to take a break from shortened to “blog” -- today can be as easy as the stress of school and homework. creating an account on a website, but artistic Hu credits blogging’s recent popularity to its director Brian Hu says that in the 1990s, starting accessibility. one required much more than just clicking a “In the past you might have needed a print button. publication, but now you can access everything.”

“People are hungry to write about what’s going Hu said. “[Blogging] allows for immediate on in their lives and read about [others’ lives] as conversation.” well,” Hu said.

In addition to Fisher and Hu, Ivy Gong (11) Jacqueline Fisher (10) is the creator of Be believes that bloggers can create a bond with their Individualistic, a blog that focuses on science, followers. creativity and Fisher’s personal life.

“There’s an appreciation for the blogs that you “I decided to start my blog mainly because I was follow,” Gong said. “It’s nice to be recognized for tired of not being heard,” Fisher said. “The name of the work you put out, and it’s also really useful if my blog, Be Individualistic, is an expansion of the there’s something that I want to gain recognition idea that we’re all individual and can all shape for or have other people notice.” the world in some way. [Readers] Gong started blogging can comment on the website, and it after her freshman year and creates a community and sense of has 15,000 followers of her camaraderie.” four blogs, each focusing on Fisher is also the president of separate fandoms. Of the People are hungry to four — three on TV series the Be Individualistic Club, which includes 15 other writers who post Wolf,” “Supernatural,” write about what’s “Teen videos, photos, book and movie “Game of Thrones” and one reviews and poetry on Fisher’s blog. going on in their on British actor Robbie Kay, Not all bloggers purchase their plays Peter Pan on CW lives, and read about who own domains, however: Websites show “Once Upon A Time” — like Tumblr ease the blogging [others’] as well. her Robbie Kay blog has the process and allow users to easily most followers: 6,500.

-Brian Hu create and follow different accounts.

“To have a big following, The site was founded in 2007 and you have to put out original currently has 213.7 million blogs content,” Gong said.

— both active and inactive — and Gong and Zhao both use 97.7 billion posts. Posts from followed blogs can Photoshop to turn their favorite scenes from shows be viewed on a collective, Facebook-like news feed into short animations, or GIFs, to post on their called a dashboard, where users can reblog and blogs, which have quickly become popular. “like” posts.

“For ‘Hannibal,’ I [make GIFs] every Friday, Michelle Zhao (11) was introduced to Tumblr and since ‘Hannibal’ usually airs at 7 p.m., I’ll near the end of her freshman year, when she usually make GIFs until 2 a.m., and [that results was asked to create a blog while she was the in] a good number of posts,” Zhao said. administrator of a fandom Facebook page. Zhao Zhao and Gong have also branched out to video now runs four separate blogs for the television blogging, or vlogging, on YouTube to create and series “Supernatural,” “Game of Thrones,” upload their own videos.

“Hannibal” and “Sherlock,” the last of which Zhao’s most-viewed video satirizes Darren focuses on fan fiction about the show’s two main Wilson and the Ferguson decision in the form of characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Zhao a makeup tutorial, allowing her to express her has a total of 9,000 followers across her four blogs; opinions in a “more creative fashion.”

4,000 of whom come from her “Supernatural” blog.

“I was just irritated about the Ferguson Zhao attributes the popularity of Tumblr fandoms decision,” Zhao said. “I wanted to make commentary to a “collective obsession” with certain TV shows, in a different way.” as users will create hype around plotlines and Blogs, more personal than Facebook and more character relationships. customizable than Instagram, have created a new Michelle McKee (11), who has a Tumblr blog way for people to not only share their personal lives, and reblogs “Doctor Who,” “Sherlock,” “Reign” but also to take sides on the issues and interests of and One Direction posts, made an account for a large group of people — the blogosphere.

“

percent of students have a blog *

What sites do students use to blog?

t

Tumblr

Blogspot

Weebly

Wordpress

Featured Student Blogs:

Jacqueline Fisher (10) Posts poetry, book and movie reviews, videos and other updates. Also includes her online shop, Just for You Jewelry. photos by robbie johnson, michael lee and kenneth lin/falconer

Michelle Zhao (11)

Ivy Gong (11)

Posts about television series like “Supernatural” and “Doctor Who,” as well as book series like “Harry Potter.”

Posts mainly about Robbie Kay, the actor who portrays Peter Pan from the T.V. show “Once Upon A Time.” *according to an informal survey of 243 students

A16 the falconer

arts & entertainment

december 12, 2014

Thou shalt not watch “Exodus: Gods and Kings” “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” falling monumentally short of its majestic title, offers an uninteresting retelling of Moses’ (Christian Bale) story and fumbles over the line dividing tradition and imagination.

The movie starts out with Moses and Ramses (Joel Edgerton) as grown men, a refreshing break from the tired basket-floating-down-river sequence.

It attempts to establish Moses and Ramses as close-knit, playfully rivalrous pseudo-siblings who love each other unconditionally, but the relationship is completely unbelievable.

Oh, and God is also apparently a 10-year-old boy in the movie, if we’re counting things that make this movie more bizarre than it is Biblical.

The characterization in the film is flat; the women, though played by actors acclaimed in their respective countries — Spain’s María Valverde, India’s Indira Varma and Iran’s Golshifteh Farahani — serve little purpose other than bearing the male protagonists’ children.

“Exodus,” with its lofty 2-hour-30-minute running time, has an impressively star-studded cast; unfortunately, it’s not put to much use. Sigourney Weaver’s Q u e e n Tuya, for

example, has maybe five lines in the entire movie and wants Moses dead for some inexplicable reason. Pharaoh Seti (John Turturro), Ramses’ father and Moses’ adoptive uncle, looks more a withered man with a teenage girl’s ill-advised love of thick eyeliner than a royal emperor. Joshua (Aaron Paul), is weak, silent and somewhat maniacal in his appearance, a far cry from the man who is supposed to be Moses’ spokesman. Edgerton, however, was perhaps the biggest failure. His underwhelming characterization contrasts greatly with Ramses’ supposed menacing nature.

There are two saving points in the film, however: Hegep (Ben Mendelsohn), one of Ramses’ advisors, and Bale’s Moses. Bale’s unforgettable past life as Batman colors his portrayal of Moses — conflicted, argumentative and sometimes cruel — a sort of “dark knight.”

The dialogue, or lack thereof, is truly what makes the film terrible — when the characters have lines, that is. The majority of verbal interaction in the movie is either centered around tension between Moses and Ramses or is just barked battle commands.

Ridley Scott, of “Gladiator” fame, does not disappoint when it comes to bloodshed. Almost every other scene involves a fighting sequence, with Moses taking every opportunity to stab something or shoot arrows at someone. God also unleashes the Ten Plagues on Egypt; some are out of order, but who cares? They are in spectacular, albeit overused, CGI. The special effects, though present in nearly every frame of the movie, still succeed at creating a sprawling Egypt that gives the audience a sense of what Ramses’ empire might have looked like.

God’s alligator attacks and violent diseases and bugs and frogs are terrifyingly real; when presented in 3D, they are almost too disgusting to stand.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” is absolutely devoid of any substance. Its entertainment derives more from picking apart the inconsistencies than witnessing a spectacle of Biblical proportions. Although the movie stuck to the original storyline of the Bible more than 2014’s other religious retellings — “Noah,” for example, was creative but misguided — it still skipped over notable events: the burning bush and Moses’ parting of the Red Sea. It was no surprise, therefore, that my exodus from the theater was quick.

By Maya Rao

PHOTO COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

477 N El Camino Real Suite C204 Encinitas, CA 92024 1-760-634-3376 www.comprehensivederm.com

arts & entertainment

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A17

The Falconer finds out where the money goes during the holiday season by looking at last year’s figures.

$54

$31

$32

$95

$960.5

$781

*Information from Investopedia, National Retail Federation, Statista, Forbes, Gallup

$46.5

INFOGRAPHIC BY AMANDA CHEN, MAYA KOTA, ALICE QU AND IRENE YU/FALCONER

A18 the falconer

arts & entertainment

december 12, 2014

Watching the Japanese film “Tampopo,” which tells the story of a widowed mother who wants to become a true ramen chef, was my introduction to ramen — and I’m not talking about the five-for-a-dollar sodium-filled boxes of instant noodles. The ultimate Asian comfort food, ramen is guaranteed to lift anyone’s mood, and so, on a cold, Wednesday night, my friends and I visited Yakitori Yakyudori & Ramen in Kearny Mesa.

Upon walking into the ramen joint, the decor and layout of the restaurant reminded me of the Japanese scenery shown in the film — intimate, with only a few tables and seats and an open bar. The menu is filled with a variety of ramen and Yakitori, Japanese skewers. With items like chicken gizzard, chicken liver and chicken heart, the menu is stocked with enough for any meat lover at reasonable prices under $10.

First to arrive at our table was the Takoyaki ($4.50), six piping hot fried octopus balls topped with fish flakes. Traditionally a street food, the ball-shaped snack was filled with fried minced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion.

Because of the snack’s crispy outside appearance, I was surprised to bite into an extremely tender, almost mushy mix of octopus, with small bits of tougher, wholesome octopus spread throughout. The ginger slightly dominated all other flavors in the dish, but it added a tangy balance to sweetness of the mayonnaise that would have otherwise undermined the taste of the octopus.

Soon after, the Spicy Miso Ramen ($8.50) and Shoyu Ramen ($7.50) arrived. The flavor of the Spicy Miso broth,

enriched by toppings like bean sprouts, green onions, “chashu” pork and garlic oil, lacked any real heat. Instead, a layer of oil from the pork masked any strong seasoning and left for a more bland taste subtly enhanced with MSG. The noodles, however, were thick, curly and chewy enough to properly capture some of the nutty flavor of the miso soup.

Hoping for more exciting and complex flavors, I tried the Shoyu Ramen, which had a soy-sauce based stock, and found it even more lacking in spice than the Spicy Miso. As the disappointment of the night, the ramen seemed a bit too onedimensional, lacking any distinguishable depth in flavor. As time passed and the soup began to cool down, the noodles tasted as if they were just in a bowl of lightly washed-down, lukewarm soy sauce.

For dessert we opted for the cream soda: vanilla ice cream in a sweetened, green melon soda. Reminiscent of the popular Japanese soft drink Ramune, the dessert made for a surprisingly addictive combination that wrapped up the night very well and was well worth the $4 pay.

Overall, while the food at Yakitori Yakyudori & Ramen is average and easy to eat, but I think I’ll stick to Tajima Ramen House right down the street.

By Sarah Brown

PHOTOS BY AVERY SPICKER/FALCONER

PHOTOS BY MILES ARNOLD/FALCONER

If you’re looking for some good, late-night ramen, Convoy St. generally will not disappoint. The problem is deciding where to go — Yelp doesn’t help; each restaurant seems to have its own loyal devotees. So when I was assigned Tajima Ramen House, I was glad I didn’t have to choose, and eager to see how good it was.

From the outside, Tajima isn’t too welcoming — a small parking lot and bold, red neon lettering. However, the friendly service and relaxing ambience of the restaurant immediately changed my mind and made my Friday night.

I started my meal with six, lightly fried gyoza at $5.

They were, as expected, crispy on the outside and chewy and tender on the inside. Aside from that, they were just, well, dumplings — expected at an Asian restaurant and nothing too special.

The gyoza were nothing to be sad about, though. The Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.50) and Soy Sauce Ramen ($7.95) that came after made up for the somewhat pricey dumplings by far.

Interestingly, Tajima gives its customers the option of thick or thin noodles, so I ordered thick noodles for the Tonkotsu and thin noodles for the Soy Sauce. The 15-minute wait caused me to slightly lose my appetite, but the taste of the original, brewed-for-hours broth of the Tonkotsu, warm and rich, was what the Yelpers had promised: perfection. The thick noodles in the Tonkotsu were few, but doughy, chewy, and not overcooked. The slices of pork were tender and instantly melted in my mouth. The soft-boiled egg was a nice addition, with its

yolk mixing into the broth.

On the contrary, the Soy Sauce Ramen turned out to be a rather unfortunate menu decision. The broth, or rather, the soy sauce, was loaded with salt, and nowhere near as good as that of the Tonkotsu. The thin noodles quickly absorbed the soup and were left limp and soggy, which, I suppose, is why people say ramen should be eaten quickly.

It was time to wrap up the meal, and at least it wasn’t a hard decision this time — Tajima only offers ice cream and Mochi ice for dessert. I opted for the green tea ice cream ($2.50) since it costs as much as one serving of Mochi ice does, a little much for Mochi ice.

The taste of the green tea ice cream, which was sweet but not too sweet, lingered, ending the meal on a satisfying note. As simple as it was, the quality and quantity of the ice cream made it well worth the price.

Even with the long trip to Convoy and the struggle to find a space in the small parking lot, the cozy atmosphere and impeccable service at Tajima are well worth the time if you are having trouble figuring out where to dine on a Friday, or any other night.

By Kevin Chih

A20 the falconer

DAY IN THE

sports

december 12, 2014

LIFE

The Falconer looks at opposite Savannah Rennie’s (12) rise from middle school recruit to Berkeley commit.

Savannah Rennie (12) started playing volleyball at 10, when a friend remarked on her height, and, initially, volleyball was just another sport to add to the list she had already tried. Eight years later, Rennie is now committed to the University of California, Berkeley for volleyball, and will graduate from TPHS at the end of first semester to enroll at Cal for the spring semester.

According to Rennie, who now stands 6 foot 2 inches tall, the college recruiting process started young. She was contacted by colleges even in middle school, which was “pretty weird” for her. “[Cal] got interested in me when I was a freshman because Maddy Kerr, a girl on my team ... committed there, too,” Rennie said. “Cal saw me when they came and watched her, but they really started to talk to me in my sophomore year.”

College coaches continued to watch Rennie at practices, matches and tournaments, which was a “long and really stressful” process, according to Rennie.

Rennie finally chose Cal because she knew she “wanted to go to a big school and have a good education,” so getting recruited by Cal felt “good and accomplishing.”

“They’re setting me up to do what I want to do: play professionally overseas ... and [get] a great education from Cal, so I’m really excited,” Rennie said.

Rennie traces her journey from when she attended a volleyball camp as a child and later joined one of San Diego’s best club volleyball teams, the WAVE Volleyball Club at the Fairgrounds Volleyball Center, when she was 12 years old. When Rennie was 15 years old, she started playing in the over-17 age group, and in the over-18 age group when she was 16.

“When I decided to play up in age, that was a big turning point because it was a huge leap in a level of volleyball, so I had to adjust really, really fast,” Rennie said. “It actually helped me a lot because it increased my level of play by three times, so I’m happy I did it.”

Rennie was also a middle blocker on the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Volleyball Team in the summer of 2013 and traveled with the team to tournaments in Italy, Croatia and Mexico.

Joining a local team and the national team were just stepping stones toward Rennie’s goal. At 12, Rennie set her sights on college volleyball after watching matches on television, and in her freshman year, she earned a spot on the TPHS varsity volleyball team.

By Fernando Stepensky “[Getting on varsity] was really nerve-wracking because I had to really make a point for myself and show ... our coach that I could play,” Rennie said.

Rennie practices with the TPHS volleyball team for two and a half hours every school day during the season, which begins two weeks before school starts and lasts until early December. “[During practices], I do a lot of hitting and a lot of blocking, the two main jobs, but I also have to work on a lot of other skills, like passing and defense,” Rennie said.

In free time between matches and practices, Rennie heads to her trainer at Jackson Strength — a gym that specializes in “producing elite athletes … with expertly designed programs that consist of weight training, stretching, plyometrics” as well as other exercises, according to the gym’s website — for her training and internship.

At the gym, she learns stretches, injury prevention exercises and rehabilitation exercises from the trainers while helping with coaching and babysitting.

“It’s a win-win situation because I’m at my gym, and I can get a workout in, but I’m also doing my internship at the same time and learning stuff that I’m interested in,” Rennie said.

Rennie’s rehabilitation exercises become useful when she gets injured on the court — which, she says, is often. Thus far, Rennie has been able to play through these injuries and deal with them as they occur.

“I had a really bad sprained ankle over the summer, [which] I’m still struggling with, and I’ve also hit my head on the floor and got whiplash from that,” Rennie said. “I’ve also had bruises and problems with my elbows, but they’re all bearable.”

According to Rennie, it is difficult to fit in an expansive social life while dealing with injuries and a rigorous schedule, but she still manages to spend time with her friends and family, “be a normal kid and not worry so much about volleyball.”

Despite the hectic nature of competitive athletics, the hard work and determination Rennie puts into volleyball every day has paid off. Rennie’s ultimate dream to play professionally overseas and eventually coach college volleyball certainly seems in reach, but before that happens, Rennie is off to Cal to reach new heights over the net.

By Alice Qu

PHOTOS BY ERIC CUNNINGHAM AND GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

GOING IN FOR THE KILL :Opposite Savannah Rennie (12) spikes the ball in a match against Canyon Crest Academy in the CIF Finals.

Rennie played well and the team as a whole was able to set each other up for their sixth CIF title, and Rennie’s last as a high school athlete.

Freshman football undefeated

By Amanda Chen STAFF WRITER The TPHS freshman football team, under the direction of head coach Tim Staycer, went undefeated last season, ending with a record of 10-0.

The team of 65 began conditioning and weight training 90 minutes a day, four days a week, at the start of summer break.

Two weeks prior to the first day of school, practices increased to three hours a day, five times per week. During the season, the team practiced seven hours total Monday through Wednesday, with games on Thursday.

In addition to their intensive practice schedule, players also attributed the team’s overall success to Staycer as well as varsity head coach Ron Gladwick. “[Staycer] genuinely cared for each player and was a great motivator,” Zach Friedland (9) said. “His football IQ was outstanding, and he really showed us the right way to play football, playing hard with class. [Gladnick] was a very inspirational coach and a great mentor.”

Staycer expressed similar sentiments about his team.

“The 2014 freshman Falcons emulated

the spirit of teamwork and collaboration,” not ahead at halftime,” Staycer said. “We Staycer said. “The team was complete with shut down their offense to win 20-6. It was at guys who were willing to make sacrifices in that point in the season I realized how truly talented this team was.” the summer months and daily at practice.”

Several players earned awards for Staycer’s hope going into the season was exceptional play: running back Zach that players would “learn how to be great Friedland for Most Valuable Player, Michael team member[s] and have fun.” He thinks Perrone for Lineman of the Year, and Sully they did that and more.

“This was a very special group of young O’Brien for Back of the Year.

“Sully O’Brien [was great] because of men who will undoubtedly be successful as his extreme hustle ... which made him the a class in whatever they put their collective efforts into,” Staycer said. “It was team’s highest scorer, [as was] Friedland, a pleasure and an honor to be because of his with such upstanding power running I was really impressed associated through the young men.” middle and with the athletes we had The team defeated La Costa speed around Canyon High School 24-7 on Nov. 6, and how every single marking the end of the season. the outsides to The players have high expectations [score] several player had the desire to touchdowns,” for the upcoming season, when the get in the game. majority of them will be playing on the quarterback and defensive Zach Friedland (9) JV team. back Chris “I think next season we will be very ������� Temby (9) said. good again,” Friedland said. “Anyone on [the team] has the potential to According to Staycer, the team’s eighth game, against El start and be an impact player ... I was really Camino High School’s undefeated freshman impressed with the athletes we had and how team, clearly defined its talent. every single player had the desire to get “Our boys were overmatched in size and in the game. Next season should be a very strength, and it was the only time we were successful year for the Falcons.”

”

The Major League Baseball Winter Meetings are underway this week in San Diego, and there is buzz, as well as the usual overhyped possibilities teams feed to media outlets. The San Diego Padres are in the headlines, but have yet to make considerable additions to next year’s lineup.

While the Padres are rumored around the league to be shopping and possibly trading away a pitcher, they are still not maximizing their available money. This is nothing new to the Padres, who have had one of the best farm systems in the MLB for years, but it is shocking it is happening even under new ownership.

The team has always been one of the most money-poor in the MLB and has always had to be creative with their moves. While I am not the General Manager of the team — despite my eager emails to help fix the team for free — I would suggest making two moves for players who can immediately contribute, and a third player with the potential to contribute by the All-Star Break.

The Clint Barmes signing was a move but the wrong one because he won’t play much.

Besides the Barmes signing, which serves little purpose, or the current rumor of possibly getting Matt Kemp via trade, the Padres should focus on getting good players that can start but won’t cost Kemp-level money.

There is not a single position on the Padres at which I look and say, “Wow, we are completely set there.” My point is this: if intelligent moves that can immediately benefit the team are not made this month at the Winter Meetings, the Padres are going to be in trouble again.

Putting Adam LaRoche at first and Jed Lowerie at short could serve a purpose on the team, and they will come cheaply enough that there will be interest in them.

The Padres are in no position to be choosy and try for an incredible player worth over $20 million a year. However, the Padres can spend $20 million on two or three above-average players who will do something on the team. Speaking in “Moneyball” terms, there are plenty things the Padres can do.

I believe the Padres are trying to make a move that is too big.

The Pablo Sandoval fiasco was off-putting. While a big name would be nice, it is not going to win the division. What can win the division, or put the team in contention for the Wild Card, is a couple smart moves that give the team potential.

It is difficult to study tape and predict who will fit well into a team’s general game strategy, but the Padres should not be picky right now. The Padres need to come into these meetings, spend some money, agree to trade a pitcher for the right player, and get some players that can make a difference on offense which will lead to more wins than last year.

tphsfalconer.com

CIF WRAP UP

sports

the falconer

A21

The Falconer takes a look at the CIF results of TPHS fall sports teams at the end of the ямБrst season of the school year.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY GIRLS GOLF TH CONSECUTIVE

CIF CHAMPIONS IN GIRLS DIVISION I

6

CIF TITLE CIF STATE RUNNER-UP

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL GIRLS TENNIS

TH CONSECUTIVE

4

CIF TITLE CIF STATE QUALIFIER

25TH CONSECUTIVE CIF TITLE CIF STATE RUNNER-UP CIF INDIVIDUALS:

FIELD HOCKEY CIF RUNNER-UP PHOTO BY SARAH HUGHES/FREEFLIGHT PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

IN SINGLES HANNAH ZHAO (1ST) KELSEY CHEN (2ND )

IN DOUBLES CC SCHWAB AND KATHY WANG (1ST)

A22 the falconer

sports

f/stop

connor milmoe varsity boys basketball dec. 5, 6:47:23 p.m.

camera: canon eos 5d mark iii lens: canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM iso: 2500 exp: 1/350 seconds f/stop: f/4.0 by grace bruton

december 12, 2014

tphsfalconer.com

sports

the falconer

A23

FALCON TRIES: SCULPT

BY ALEX JEN In which the Falconer A&E Editor makes the fatal mistake of leaving his bed over break, only to learn new ways of feeling pain while contorting his body.

I always regret these sorts of things. I start out thinking it’ll be fun; I’ll get a chance to be funny, maybe get a new profile picture.

That’s what I was thinking when I was assigned “hot yoga.” It sounded easy — basically, yoga is just lying on a mat and doing stretches or something. Too bad I didn’t know beforehand that the class I was going to wasn’t really going to be yoga and that, in addition to lying on a mat, the class also included lying in bed, crying about being sore for days thereafter. I should’ve stayed home.

I looked around the room, and there were only two other guys in the class, both shirtless.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that was an option for me.

I walked into Sculpt Fusion Yoga on Tuesday of Thanksgiving break at 7:00 a.m., armed with a beach towel and my mom’s purple yoga mat. There was a Buddha behind the desk and some bamboo in the corner, and the first thing I had to do was take off my shoes. All very zen, I’m sure. Then I learned I would be taking a Sculpt class, a sort of cardio-intensified yoga using weights. Kim, the owner, went to lock the door as the class began. Now that I think about it, that was probably a clear indicator of bad things to come.

What follows is a surreal account of what happened that Tuesday.

I can’t be too sure of all the details, since I left halfway through the class and collapsed in the bathroom (I did return!) and also took three impressive naps when I got home. Here we go.

I watched calmly as the rest of the class slowly walked into the giant oven that was the yoga studio — and followed suit, picking up two weights at the door. The music started, and my eyes darted around in search of Fernando, the Falconer sports editor who assigned the story.

No luck. It was dubstep. What was I in for? I looked around the room, and saw two other guys in the class, both shirtless. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that was an option for me.

We started on the mat, doing bicycle crunches. Then Pati, our instructor, introduced the hand weights — and it was the beginning of the end. In between each leg kick, I had to do a crunch and weave a 10-pound weight around my thigh. I could feel the slow burn in my

stomach as the ghosts of Hot Pockets past screamed out in agony. This was good, a much-needed workout, I thought. The only problem was that I had done four of those bicycle weight crunches in the time it had taken the rest of the class to finish a set of 15.

Holding a 10-pound weight in each hand, I was instructed to start an air boxing set — left, right, up, down — but soon after, I was instructed to punch in every other direction at random. I was struggling, and it certainly didn’t help that the guy next to me had abs that had abs.

Pati didn’t let up for a single second; we followed that workout immediately with three sets of 10 modified side planks, in which I had to bend both arm and leg to bring the weight in my hand to my foot.

Ten is a very large number. I don’t know if it was the heat, but ten seemed to go on way longer than ten. Maybe it was because the instructor counted down “10, 9, 8, 7” on our weighted lifts, and just as she was about to grant us freedom, around “2,” she started over. I felt deceived.

The second half of the class was devoted to yoga. The instructions were simple. “Downward Dog” was just arching your back with your behind to the sky. Next, I was told to “touch the heel of my left foot to my right inner thigh, and sit.” This was called “Pigeon.” Easy enough.

“Turn your wrists in a circle and lower your body to the floor.” The

The instructor counted down “10, 9, 8, 7” on our weighted lifts, but just as she was about to grant us freedom, around “2,” we started over. I felt deceived. classic “chaturanga”; this was manageable. “Touch your big toe to your left ear and back around your head under your left thigh.” Wait, what?

Never mind.

In the midst of the madness, a remix of a familiar song played: “Firework,” by Katy Perry, a middle school favorite. “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag/Drifting through the wind?” she asked. I finally knew the answer to that years-old question.

For some reason, I didn’t get a high five at the end. Oh well.

Namaste anyway.

PHOTOS BY GRACE BRUTON/FALCONER

PLANK IT: A&E editor Alex Jen props himself up in a side plank as he tries to bring a weight to his foot. Not pictured: Jen collapsing on the mat immediately after this.

DEFCON TPHS DEFCON TPHS

It’s no secret that things at TPHS have been a little crazy of late. Between shooting threats originating from an app whose name sounds like the noise a farm animal makes when it feels threatened and there being a couple of days when actual rain fell from the actual sky, it seems that “bring the chaos” has perhaps been interpreted a little too literally. The Falconer has conducted a thorough investigation into the administration’s handling of these emergencies and discovered this color-coded threat level chart, which we are now bravely printing in full.

TPHS SECURITY ADVISORY SYSTEM Threat Level Meter Threat from an actual yak Threat from Yik Yak Whole Foods closed for renovations Erlenmeyer flasks used as self-defense Seagull congregation above student lot If a tree falls and no one Instagrams it, does it make a sound?

Excessive dandruff mistaken for Anthrax

severe Severe risk, otherwise known as Code Cardinal, entails the deployment of the SDPD as well as our school paratroopers (assistant principals). Potential causes of Code Cardinal include explicitly violent threats written on social media, vaguely disgruntled threats written on social media, and pretty much anything written by pretty much anyone on social media. Although students are constantly under the threat of death, they are still required by state law to show up to school happy, awake and ready to learn, fully aware that they may have to pee in a trashcan at some point in the day. To do otherwise would be to let the terrorists win.

high High risk, or Code Tangerine, involves a routine call and email sent out to Falcon families establishing that yet another individual wishes to rain terror down upon our campus, but otherwise, it’s business as usual. At the most a halfhearted fire alarm may go off, and students will wonder blearily if this means they won’t have to take that math test next period while exactly zero people wonder if their lives are in danger. Causes include threats written on bathroom walls in Sharpie and threats written in ketchup on napkins found around campus.

elevated Elevated risk, Code Mustard, is reserved only for situations in which birds**t and/or trees are falling on students. If a tree falls on you or a bird takes a s**t on you, please remain calm. Take a couple deep breaths and recall that you signed several waivers at the beginning of the year that exempt the school from blame.

Remember angrily that you cannot sue anyone. Call your lawyer anyway. Wear a body cast for six months and develop a crippling phobia of trees and/or birds that stays with you for the rest of your life.

guarded Guarded risk, or Code Blù, comprises all water-related incidents at our droughtridden school. In the case of the main water line rupturing, school will remain open. Who needs running water when we have the joy of learning? Simply quench your thirst for knowledge with a good book! Also, no toilets. Sorry.

LOW Low Risk, otherwise known as Code Are You Sure?, is the threat level at which there are no threats. But are you completely, totally sure there are none? Have you checked everywhere? What about that gross stall in the outdoor bathrooms?

Terror can strike at any time. Remember: those damn kids have about 7,000 different apps to vent their dangerous angst on. What about that kid with the guyliner wearing the Insane Clown Posse shirt posting about “annihilation” on ask.fm? Does that kid check out? Yeah, we didn’t think so.

By Charu Sinha Disclaimer: Everything on this page is a lie. Believe nothing. Live in endless doubt.